Ravage
by Jerod2447
Summary: What happens when you have, a heroic duo and a master thief and his gang, both from different worlds, get taken to the same world? A world they hadn't seen before? Rated T - Go to FictionPress and search for Rise of Calamity to see the the story of Calamity (WIP) Just started Ravage's sequel! It's titled, Alter
1. Chapter 1, Ravage

Ravage: a Ratchet &amp; Clank and Sly Cooper Crossover

Note: this takes place after Ratchet &amp; Clank ACIT and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. I do not own Ratchet &amp; Clank or Sly Cooper, they belong to their owners. Calamity, Agrona, and Rykk do belong to me.

Also note this is not cannon to any of my other works in this universe. This is something I am doing for fun and to introduce some of my characters that I'm still working on. That means that, when I finish my work and the off chance anyone here reads it, this won't spoil it.

Anyways, I've wanted to write a Ratchet and Clank FanFic for a long time. So I hope I'm making a good one.

* * *

Chapter 1, Ravage,

* * *

It was a cool night in Paris and Sly Cooper stood on the balcony of the museum overlooking the city. The raccoon sighed, reminiscing about his past thieving adventures. _Those were the days, I miss Bentley and Murray. It's been months since I've seen them. I mean I grew up with them and then I fake this amnesia to live a "normal" life! Carmelita's great though. She's strong but beautiful._ He was interrupted as Carmelita Fox came behind him. Her touch brought him back to the present.

"Come on Sly," Her Spanish accent cut the air. "Let's go get a drink."

One night later, Sly and Carmelita were fast asleep. When Sly's sensitive ears heard a light tap on a window. It was the window on the balcony of their apartment. _What the heck?_ He felt more than a little embarrassed and vulnerable due to only wearing a pair of dark blue boxers. Luckily, he was skilled in hand to hand combat so he wasn't seriously scared.

He approached the balcony's slide-and-glass door and smiled. The turtle known as Bentley was on the balcony, he was smiling as well. Sly quietly and smoothly slid the door to the side and stepped outside.

Bentley chuckled as his friend closed the door behind himself. "Well Sly, I'm glad you've been keeping in shape."

Sly playfully rolled his eyes, "Haha, yeah but if I keep eating the way I do, I won't be." He lightly patted his stomach, "I am glad to see you Bentley." The former thief looked back inside nervously. "But if Carmelita sees you and me, she'll turn me into a fur hat."

Bentley put up his hands, "I know, I know Sly but I've found something extraordinary. Something I've never seen before. I need you to help figure out what to do with it."

Sly rose an eyebrow, "What did you find and where is it?"

"Some kind of globe-like portal, gateway thing in England; I wouldn't have come here if I didn't think it was important."

Sly rubbed the bridge of his nose, "What about Carmelita? What do I tell her? Hey, I've faked amnesia for the past few months?!"

"Not a bad way to start…" a Spanish-accented voice was muffled behind the glass door. Even though the glass muffled her speech, Sly could make out the venom in her voice. It made Sly's fur stand on end. Sly turned around and saw Carmelita with her arms crossed. Her silk night-gown billowed lightly as she moved.

Bentley rolled his wheelchair back a bit.

Carmelita slid the door open, an angry and hurt expression on her face. "You lied to me Cooper! You lying, no-good ringtail! I can't believe you!" Sly was lucky she didn't have her gun on her, or in the apartment, or in the building. She did smack the raccoon on the cheek though.

Sly recoiled, "I, I'm sorry, but I wanted to settle down with you. I do love you."

The fiery vixen was still angry but Cooper's words calmed her a bit.

"Guys I'm sorry about this, but I have something that will interest you both."

"What is it Bentley?" Carmelita asked, only a slight hint of anger in her voice.

"You have to see it, get dressed and meet me downstairs."

* * *

Meanwhile…

The short, young lombax known as Ratchet and the small robot known as Clank had just left the Great Clock. The duo wanted nothing more than to return to Veldin and rest. As they flew, a growl echoed through the cabin of the ship called Aphelion. Clank was initially confused but quickly realized the sound came from Ratchet's gut. The small robot chuckled slightly, "It's been a while since I've been around organics. I almost forgot you need to eat."

Ratchet blushed slightly and covered his stomach with his hand. "Yeah pal, I need to stop by Galaxy Burger before we get home." The mention of Galaxy Burger made his stomach growl even louder; which made the lombax blush even more.

Clank chuckled but then asked in a serious tone, "Ratchet, when was the last time you ate?"

Ratchet had to think a bit, he was so focused on finding Clank; he hadn't eaten as much as he should. "I'm not exactly sure, been kinda busy."

"You have been… alright Ratchet?"

Ratchet nodded, "I am now," as he spoke he pulled out the pocket watch that belonged to Alistair. His heart dropped for a second as he looked at the picture of his father. _I just wish I could've met him. Wish the clock could turn time back. Wish I could go and be with my people._ His eyes got a bit wet but he blinked the tears away. Ratchet quickly put the watch in his pocket and buried his sadness.

"Hey Ratchet, why don't you give Miss Apogee a call?" Clank suggested, "She is probably worried about you."

"Alright, I'll give her a call on the way to Galaxy Burger." Ratchet typed her number into Aphelion's com system.

The young Markazian's face lit up, "Ratchet! Oh thank the heavens! I've been worried sick about you! Where are you?"

"I'm leaving the Great Clock with Clank."

"You found it and Clank! Ratchet, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, just a bit hungry. Want to grab a bite?"

"I would, but I'm busy helping Cronk and Zephyr fix the air filtration system on the station."

Ratchet could hear the old robots bickering in the background. He remarked sarcastically "Sounds like that's going well."

Talwyn gave an exasperated sigh. "If it weren't for the fact I need air to live, I would let them do it. Can I get back in touch when I'm finished?"

"Of course, sure, hey how about I come give you a hand after I get a bite?"

There was a loud crash and Cronk and Zephyr began yelling louder. "That sounds awesome. I'll see you soon, got to go."

"See you later."

An short time later, Ratchet set Aphelion to autopilot towards Apogee Station. It would take them a bit of time to reach it; meaning that the two friends had time to catch up.

Ratchet swallowed the last of his meal while Clank finished a can of oil. As the duo consumed their meals, they had exchanged small talk and memories. They were laughing and having a good time forgetting about the past few days.

As they finished, the young and fun-loving lombax felt his stomach gurgle. He instantly realized what was about to happen. He grinned mischievously and lightly elbowed Clank. "Hey Clank, check this out."

Clank was slightly intrigued but then quickly realized what was about to occur.

Ratchet leaned his head forward and…, "BBUUUUURRRRAAAAPPP!" Ratchet let loose an enormous belch. It echoed through the small cabin.

Clank started to laugh. He was slightly disgusted as his sensors picked up trace amounts of gastro fumes.

"Ratchet really? You act like such a child sometimes!" Aphelion scolded.

Ratchet chuckled, wiped some drool from his chin, and patted his stomach, "Heh, not too bad if I do say so myself." He said in an immature but proud tone.

Clank slowly stopped laughing, "Ratchet, you **are** immature… but fun. I have missed you."

"I missed…" Ratchet began but was interrupted.

"Warning…" Aphelion's voice rang, "…approaching unidentified object."

* * *

Bentley took Sly, Carmelita, and Murray to England via the English Chunnel. Sly was back in his thieving outfit and Carmelita, in her police uniform.

Once in England, Bentley led everyone to the moors. "I was doing a job for a friend of mine when I came across some kind of communication device. It was unlike any tech I've used but I was able to interact with it."

"Wait," Sly started as they walked on the dirt road. "You didn't know what it was? the all-knowing Bentley?" Sly chuckled.

Bentley rolled his eyes, "Haha, and no I didn't. It gave me the location I'm taking you to. I got there and… I don't know what it is or what to do with it." The turtle led the gang off the road and to a crevice in the moors.

The crevice was barely big enough for Murray but he managed. "Who was your friend and what was the job Bentley?" The big, pink hippo asked.

"It was Rixio, an old Italian friend of mine. He wanted me to analyze and update his systems. He told me about this desk-like machine he had found while searching for treasures in Spain. While Rixio is intelligent, he needs some help in tech matters. He gave the machine to me as he thought it cool, but worthless. That was my pay. It's right over here."

The group turned a corner and Sly saw the most interesting artifact he'd ever laid eyes on. It was like a big, metal, riveted globe. It stood about twelve feet tall. The dark metal sphere hovered between the globe's arms and spun slowly. Red energy bounced from the globe's poles to the arms. On the back of the arms was some kind of touchpad.

"I tried to interact with this device but all I could get was that it was some kind of gateway or door." Bentley said as he wheeled his way to the interface.

"A door? To where?" Carmelita asked.

"It would just say to a place called Parson. It would seem there's some kind of intelligence in this machine. But it's either very stubborn, very old, or both."

Sly observed the strange contraption. It was evident the thing had been there for some time, there was rust and other signs of wear on it.

"Hey, what about this lever?" Murray asked as he pulled it down.

Initially Bentley was about to scold his friend but then the dark metal around the slowly spinning globe began to retract. The parting plates revealed a black orb surrounded by red and black swirled energy.

Suddenly a high-pitched, gender-neutral voice came from the device. "Restraining blinds retracted, prepared for departure?"

"Departure? What's the destination?" Bentley asked.

The machine responded, "Parson, ready for departure?"

"What is Parson?" Carmelita asked.

The thing stubbornly repeated, "Ready for departure?"

Bentley began typing on the machine's interface. He became focused as he pushed the holographic buttons, "I think… I can… find out… more… now…"

"Departure imminent," the machine's voice echoed and suddenly red energy appeared in the air. The wind began to pick up.

Sly became worried and yelled as the wind quickly picked up. It was blowing towards the black and red orb. "Let's get out of here!"

Everyone tried to run but the wind was too powerful. Bentley was the first to be pulled into the portal. The poor turtle was yelling for help and tried to grab onto anything but was too late. Sly used his cane to hook onto a root in the side of the crevice.

Carmelita held onto a handhold on the other side of the crevice.

Murray slammed his hands into the ground and clutched it hard.

The red-tinged air was rushing so fast and loud, it was deafening. Sly saw Carmelita trying to say something but he couldn't make it out. Carmelita's grip slipped and she yelled as she was pulled in.

Sly yelled her name then felt the root begin to give. The realization that he would be pulled in hit him. After a few seconds, the root gave and Sly was pulled in.

* * *

Floating a good distance away from Aphelion was a black and red orb. There was a swirl of red energy floating in a sphere around the orb. The orb looked big, around eighty feet in circumference, and had an eerie look to it.

Ratchet looked at the strange phenomenon, "Clank have you seen anything like this before?"

Clank looked at it and scanned it with his optical scanners. He shook his head, "No, it's energy is reading unlike anything I have ever seen. It's not a black hole, star, or anything in my databanks."

"I'm giving Tal a call; maybe she saw something like this in her travels or heard about it from her dad." Ratchet contacted Talwyn. "Tal, I came across something neither I nor Clank have seen before. It looks like some kind of black hole or wormhole but isn't one."

She looked more calm and had evidently finished her repairs. "Where are you?" Ratchet gave her his location, "I'll be there in a few."

Talwyn flew quickly and was there within a half-hour. Ratchet kept a good distance from the weird sphere. He saw her ship and called her. "Do you have any idea what this is?"

Talwyn looked at the strange anomaly and shook her head. "It's not like anything I saw in my father's notes or anything I've seen. I need a closer look."

"Miss Apogee," Clank warned, "I would not get too close."

Talwyn was intrigued and was undaunted by Clank's warning. "Just one sec," her ship slowly approached the object.

When Talwyn's ship entered the red energy around the object, it flashed a bright white light. Suddenly, the red energy began to swirl into the object. It began pulling Talwyn's ship into the sphere.

Talwyn's voice became frantic, "Ratchet! My ship's controls are dead! I can't do anything!"

Ratchet grabbed Aphelion's controls, "Hang on Talwyn! I'm coming!"

Clank was about to warn Ratchet but, before he could say anything, they had entered the energy field. Tal's ship was pulled into the portal. A few seconds later, Ratchet &amp; Clank joined her.

* * *

Sly had passed out when he went through the strange portal. When he woke up he was lying face down on crimson dirt. He hoisted himself to his feet and looked around. He was disoriented and the surroundings were alien to him. The ground was crimson in color and was dry. The sky was a pale yellow color. There were hundreds of tall, crimson, rock formations. Behind them were some kind of ruins. It looked like some kind of shack made of dark, riveted metal. It looked like the same kind of metal the machine was made of. There was no sign of the red portal or the device. Bentley was still out, he had fallen out of his chair, Carmelita was leaning against the ruins, and Murray, being the last one through, was out as well.

_Where are we?_ Sly approached Carmelita. "Did I miss anything?"

She shook her head, "I'm scared Ringtail, this isn't Paris or England, this isn't our planet. I'm used to handling criminals, not other worlds."

Sly shrugged, "Well, I'm a thief and, like you, am not used to this."

A moan from Bentley got Sly and Carmelita's attention. They helped the dazed turtle back into his chair. "Ugh," Bentley said as he rubbed his head. "Where are we? And is everyone ok?"

Sly answered, "I don't know and yes, as far as we know. Murray is still..."

As if on cue, Murray moaned and stumbled to his feet. "Alright, that was the freakiest thing I've been through."

Sly looked around and assessed the situation. _Okay, so we have no food, no water, no idea where we are, and no way back. So, what do we do? We're obviously not on our own world. Guess our only option is to take a look around._ Sly spotted his cane lying a few yards away. He picked it up and twirled it a bit.

"So what's the plan Sly?" Carmelita asked. Nearly all traces of her anger and hurt towards Sly had vanished from her voice.

"We need to take a walk and hopefully find some way back; in the very least some water or food." He pointed the curved, gold-colored end of his staff away from the ruined shack. "We might as well go that way."

* * *

Ratchet and Clank found themselves crashing onto some planet. Aphelion failed to respond. Their yells of fear echoed throughout the cabin. Ratchet's stomach became queasy and he resisted the urge to lose his meal. The portal had dumped Aphelion over a hundred feet above some unknown planet. It's surface was crimson red in color and it's sky was a pale, royal yellow color.

Ratchet was able to spot Talwyn's crash site. It was apparent that he and Clank would be crashing beside her. Ratchet thought about Talwyn, he prayed that she was ok.

Clank watched as the alien ground rushed up to meet them.

The impact was hard but Ratchet and Clank had been through rougher landings. Ratchet groaned and Clank jumped out of the ship. It was apparent the ship was totaled. Clank trotted over to Talwyn's ship as Ratchet climbed out of Aphelion. He saw that Talwyn was fine and was struggling with her safety belt. It had jammed in the crash and her voice showed frustration. Clank pulled out a small saw and cut her free. He returned the saw to his compartment and Talwyn left her wrecked ship.

Ratchet walked over to Clank and Talwyn. "Is everyone ok?"

Clank nodded.

Talwyn nodded and said, "Besides the fact that our ships are totaled? I'm fine." She looked around. "You have any idea on what planet we're on?"

The planet looked unlike any of the worlds Ratchet had seen before. That's saying something; he's been on hundreds of worlds. He looked at Clank, "Does this place look like any planets in your database Clank?"

"One second," the small robot closed his eyes as he searched. A few seconds later he opened his eyes. "I am sorry; I do not have any records that match this place." He looked around a bit, "This is strange. I have never encountered any kind of portal like that. I am able to pick up some faint electrical and radio signals coming from the northeast. As best I can tell, there's some kind of settlement. Given the strength, I'd say it's about twenty miles away."

Both Ratchet and Talwyn sighed in uneager tones. Talwyn said, "Well at least you have plenty of time to tell me what happened at the Great Clock."

* * *

The Cooper gang had been walking for hours. But for the past hour Sly had been feeling uneasy, like something was watching him. He thought he had seen something dart from behind the rock formations once or twice, so he kept his guard up. _Not sure what could be lurking in the strange place._ Though his ears were top notch, he couldn't pick up any footsteps outside his groups'. Sly guessed it was sometime in the afternoon; though it was only a guess, as he had no idea how time was told there.

"Sly, can't we stop for a rest? We don't even know where we are!" Murray exclaimed. He was pretty worn and wasn't built for long hikes.

Sly was getting tired, but he was also very hungry and thirsty. His tail hung low, his ears were a bit down, his stomach complained, and his throat felt as scorched as the landscape. It was a barren desert, only rock formations and some withered plants dotted the crimson ground. The sun was relentless and there was little cover from its intense rays.

"Well, let's try and find somewhere to rest." They walked a bit further until Sly's ears perked up. The cool sound of a rushing brook hit his ears. "I hear water!" Sly exclaimed and Carmelita also heard it. They all bounded towards the source. They jumped down a short ledge (Bentley used his chair's hover function to get down the four-foot ledge) and saw the stream. It was about three feet across and was cool and clear.

The gang wasted no time and began drinking down the cool water. The cool, clear liquid soothed Sly's throat as he drank. He felt the crystal water splash in his burning, empty gut. As the raccoon satisfied his thirst, he was knocked to the ground by something big.

He was hit so fast, hard, and the creature was so quiet Sly had no time to react. All he could do was yelp. The thing was big, hairy, and a quadruped. Sly's light frame made it impossible for him to fight back. Sly felt a rush of pain in his left shoulder, the creature had dug its fangs in. Sly yelled as a warm and sticky feeling was felt in his fur.

Luckily for Sly, he had a team. He felt the thing get thrown off of him and Sly did a reverse somersault onto his feet. His shoulder had a burst of pain as he rolled.

Murray had run his fist into the big predator; he was the one to knock the thing back.

The creature was a big cat. It was about the size of a Bengal tiger and had a somewhat similar stripe pattern. It was mostly black and had crimson, vertical stripes. It's underbelly was a rust-color and had white tips on its ears and tail. Its eyes almost glowed blue. The big cat growled and bared its fangs as it began to slowly circle the group.

Carmelita drew her gun and fired at the predator. Blue bolts struck the cat and it roared in anger. It drew back a bit before pouncing towards Carmelita. Its long, black claws extended, its white fangs were bared. Carmelita was moving out of the cat's path but was apparent she wasn't quick enough. Suddenly, Sly yelled and jumped in front of the cat's path. He hit it on the side of its face with his staff. The blow knocked the cat to the side and stunned it slightly.

It growled and rubbed its face with its paw.

Carmelita raised her pistol and began firing furiously. The flurry of energy bolts drove the big cat away. It roared and vanished behind a rock formation.

The crew was tense for a few seconds, waiting for the cat to come back. After a short time they relaxed a bit. Sly lowered his staff, using his right hand; he picked up his cap and put it on his head. As he performed the action, he winced. Sly put his right hand on the wound and took it off. On his blue-gloved hand was dark red blood.

"Sly, you ok?" Bentley asked. He felt a bit useless in the fight but he was well equipped to patch wounds.

Sly nodded, "That dang furball bit my shoulder."

"Let me take a look, kneel down a bit Sly." Bentley said as he extended the arms from the back of his wheelchair.

"I can't believe this," Carmelita stated and rubbed her forehead, "We are stuck on some strange world; no sign of any help, and have some big kitty cat trying to make us a snack!" She said as she started to walk around.

"That thing was no match for the Murray!" The big pink hippo said proudly.

"There, that ought to do it." Bentley said as he finished cleaning and bandaging the wound.

Sly's shoulder hurt as he put his blue, roughed up shirt back on. He grunted and stood up.

"Hey guys I got something!" Carmelita exclaimed eagerness laced her voice.

The guys approached Carmelita's position and each of them felt a touch of hope. Less than a quarter-mile from the stream was a dirt road. The road ran parallel to the stream and looked like it was used by horses.

Everyone, at practically the same time, looked one way and then the other. There was nothing coming either way.

Sly pointed each direction as he asked, "So, left or right?"

* * *

The Lombax, the Markazian, and the robot had been walking for a while. They had stumbled upon a brook early on their trek and had gathered some water. They used a bottle that Clank had kept in his compartment. They then walked for a couple hours and Ratchet filled Talwyn in on the Great Clock. She asked plenty of questions and the duo did their best to give her answers.

Shortly after finishing the Q&amp;A, Clank said that he detected life forms. It didn't take the trio long to spot them. There were dozens of creatures. They were all around 5 and a half feet tall and were covered in either black or grey fur. They had four limbs, two arms and two legs. Some stood on their feet, others walked on their hands and feet. Some also had thick manes on their necks. They had short pointy ears, a short muzzle, and big green or blue eyes. They were all grunting and making various noises. It seemed to be their way of communicating.

Ratchet had only his wrench and his combustor (He had his other weapons but they were out of ammo. He only had fifty shots for the gun. The maximum amount he could carry was 150). He held his wrench in a defensive manner as Talwyn drew her blaster. Clank quickly jumped onto Ratchet's back and got out of the way.

The throng of monkey-like creatures approached the group but kept their distance. They seemed curious about the new visitors. They pointed and grunted.

"Clank, have any idea what they're saying?" Ratchet said as quietly as he could.

"I do not; their vocalizations remind me more of animals than civilized speech."

"Well what the heck are we supposed to do? I don't have a lot of ammo." Talwyn said in low volume.

Clank calmly said, "I suggest that we wait and see. Perhaps…"

As Clank spoke, the biggest creature stepped forward. It had a thick mane and stood over seven feet tall. It towered over the Lombax and Markazian. It stopped within four feet of the group. Then it began to sniff the air. It sniffed for a few seconds before eliciting a loud roar.

"Um, is that a good thing?" Ratchet asked.

He was answered when the thing tried to bat him with its arm.

Ratchet was quick and was able to dodge the swing.

Talwyn fired her blaster and hit the beast. The bolts hurt it but made it angrier. Not only did the alpha get upset, the rest of the mob yelled and charged the trio. Talwyn began firing furiously.

Ratchet swung his wrench and hit the alpha on the head. The thing stumbled a bit before swinging again and baring its fangs.

This time the swing made contact and sent Ratchet into the air. He hit the side of a rock and landed on the ground. Luckily for him, his armor took most of the damage.

He got up and heard Talwyn yell, "I'm out!"

"Ratchet," Clank said, "I think need to we run." The things were about to overwhelm them.

Ratchet ran towards Talwyn and shouted above the roars, "Talwyn! Let's get out of here!"

She put her gun away and followed Ratchet.

Ratchet looked behind at the creepy mob, _we're not fast enough! Aw crap, I'm so stupid!_ He looked at Talwyn, "Tal! Use your hover-boots!"

They both activated their boots and shot forward, easily outpacing the monsters. The dark red ground, shriveled shrubs, and rocks flew past them as they hovered about three feet above the ground.

"Where are we going?" Talwyn yelled.

Ratchet shook his head, "No idea! Just get distance from those things!"

They zipped across the terrain for a minute before Ratchet's boots suddenly cut off. _Crap,_ was all he could think before crashing, tumbling, and rolling on the rocky and hard ground. The fast and hard impact detached Clank from Ratchet's holder and he went tumbling. Ratchet stopped with his back hitting a boulder and he being upside-down. Clank had slowed enough to be caught in a dried bush.

_Aw what happened? Did my boots rust up or what?_ Ratchet was dazed, bruised, and had a few cuts. He looked around for Talwyn. He saw that she had overshot them and was hovering back to them.

Ratchet stood up and smiled. But he was soon in shock as the ground beneath him surged upwards. He was once again in the air but he had been tossed over forty feet up! Soon the ground was rushing back to him and he landed, hard. He was tough, the fall hurt but he'd been more surprised.

Ratchet's launch into the air by the ground greatly puzzled Clank. He wished he could have caught his friend but he would've been crushed by the Lombax. He winced a bit by the thud Ratchet made upon impact.

-Thud- "Ah! What in Solana was that?!" Ratchet exclaimed as he slowly got up.

"Oh that," a deep voice with supernatural notes to it said. "That was me…"

The duo saw a figure hover from a cave entrance. He made both of them have some pangs of fear. He was bigger than the alpha male monster. This thing was almost nine feet tall and had dark, ash grey skin. His eyes disturbed them greatly; the two round pupils were deathly pale white. The rest of the eye was constantly morphing the following colors; red, orange, yellow, and white. The morphing colors glowed and were also streaked through his white, swept-back hair. He wore a, dark red/almost black, cape that was attached to a bronze-colored breastplate. The plate had silver lines with morphing-color streaks. The lines were elegant and smooth. He had similarly styled armor on his legs and forearms. Each forearm had three pairs of two-inch long spikes. He also had circular symbols on his shoulders and back. The symbols also glowed and shifted colors.

Ratchet took a quick glance over his shoulder and saw Clank peering around a boulder. Ratchet gave a quick nod that meant for Clank to stay hidden.

Clank, reluctantly, understood.

"…And I am Calamity," with that he pointed at Ratchet.

Ratchet's blood almost froze as he saw three; dark, ghost-like entities emerge from Calamity. They looked like black, robbed figures with no legs. They floated and their robes looked like they were filled with black smoke. Each one had two, glowing, white eyes shining from underneath their hoods. At the end of their arms were five-fingered hands, each one tipped with a claw. Ratchet could hear whispering and low voices coming from the dark ghosts. What they were saying was undiscernible.

When Calamity pointed at Ratchet, the three ghosts charged him.

Ratchet stumbled back a bit in fear and swung his wrench. He hit one on the side of the head and sent it spinning. He was able to hit the second one as well but was rammed by the third. He yelped as it knocked him violently to the ground. His arms trembled as he pushed himself up. Before he could get up, one of the ghosts came up from the ground below and grabbed him. It pinned him against a rock wall and slashed at his midsection. The ghost's claws went through the armor and cut Ratchet. He howled as he drew his combustor and fired. It got the ghost off of him and luckily the cuts weren't life threatening. The nanotech in his system quickly healed most of the wound.

That doesn't mean it didn't hurt. _Yow! This is just not my day, or week, or month, or year._ Ratchet saw Calamity and fired his combustor. Calamity crossed his arms in an x shape. A chunk of the ground rose in front of him and blocked Ratchet's combustor round.

Calamity smiled, that is until he was kicked in the face by Talwyn. Ratchet smiled in turn but his smile was drained as Calamity grabbed Talwyn and threw her against the wall. The blow was hard and nearly knocked Talwyn out.

Calamity once again grinned. "Now, let's see what you two know." He pointed at both Ratchet and Talwyn. Two ghosts flew; one at Ratchet and one at Talwyn. Each ghost entered their targets.

_Yah! What the, there's something in my head. _Ratchet thought. _Gah, like a wedge prying in my, OH SON OF A QWARK! _Ratchet yelled both in his mind and out loud. The ghost began ripping through all of his memories at breakneck speed. It seemed like it was copying and pasting the memories to itself. _My life on Veldin, my ship I was building, Clank crashing, warning me of danger, stopping Drek, the protopets, Angela, becoming a commando, Sasha, getting kidnaped, fighting on Dreadzone, escaping that awful place,_ (the next bit brings Ratchet to tears and its forceful playthrough causes horrific mental and physical pain)_ Tachyon's invasion, finding out what happened to the lombaxes, Talwyn, finding out that Tachyon killed my father, that I was the last lombax in this dimension, the Zoni kidnaping Clank, searching for him for two years, dealing with rusty pirates, finding Alistair Azimuth, realizing I wasn't alone, that I wasn't the only lombax, finding Clank, dealing with Dr. Nefarious, going to the Great Clock, I'm about to leave my best friend, Alistair gets angry because I tell him we can't use the Clock to change the past, he tries to kill me!, Clank saves me, in the ensuing fight Alistair damages the Clock, he realizes his plan won't work, he sacrifices himself to save us and time, it works, I'm about to leave my friend again, I'm sitting in my cockpit realizing that I'm alone, I get a great surprise when Clank jumps into the cockpit, we look at each other and we understand. Then I come to this place… stupid ghost get out of my head!_

Talwyn screamed as the ghost entered her mind. _You freak get out of my head! Gah no!_ Her head began to pound as the ghost sifted through her memories. _My father, we lived in that station, he was at my seventh birthday, he disappeared when I was eight, I grew up on that station with Cronk and Zephyr, even with them I was alone, many years later Ratchet and Clank came to the station. They were looking for the Lombax artifact but we didn't have it. We eventually found it but I was imprisoned. Ratchet broke me out and eventually killed Tachyon. We returned to the station but then Clank was taken by the Zoni. Me and Ratchet started searching. We dealt with pirates before Ratchet disappeared. Then, a year later, he calls me._ All the recent events unfolded.

Calamity withdrew his puppets from the minds of the two strangers. "Well, well, you two have led interesting lives. Now, the real fun begins," he stretched out his hands in Clank's direction.

Clank jumped and felt strange. He noticed that he was covered by a strange energy. The energy, like Calamity's eyes; constantly shifted between; red, orange, yellow, and white. Clank couldn't move and soon found himself floating in the air. He was pulled towards Calamity and hovered in front of him. Calamity had his right hand pointed at Clank. His fingers were extended but were close together.

Ratchet gasped and quickly got to his feet. Fear took him as his best friend was put in grave danger.

Talwyn quickly got to her feet. She felt helpless.

"I see this tiny machine means a great deal to you… Ratchet,"

"PUT HIM DOWN!" Ratchet yelled in rage and fear. He was reluctant to use his combustor for fear of hitting Clank.

Calamity's voice took a slight, blissful tone. "Ah, your fear and anger feels great. Like sweet honey it drips from your face and voice. You know what's even better?" He spread his fingers apart a bit and Clank strained as his arms and legs were pulled. "Watching someone lose someone or something they love. The terror and anger is absolutely delicious." He spread his fingers apart a bit more and Clank grunted louder.

Ratchet felt terrified, the friend he had searched for, for two years; was now in the hands of some powerful psychopath, "Clank!" The realization that this thing meant to kill Clank made Ratchet greatly consider using his combustor. He quickly found an opening, drew, and fired his combustor.


	2. Chapter 2, Fighting or Beating

Alright, got another chapter uploaded. Hope everyone likes it, this one is darker than the last.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.

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Ravage Chapter 2

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Calamity dropped Clank but was still struck by the round. It hurt the evil entity and made him growl. "Well, you actually have stones you furry rat!" With that Calamity drew a two-bladed, crimson sword. He quickly slammed the blade into the ground towards Talwyn and drew it out. He then twirled the blade (which blocked three of Ratchet's combustor rounds) and thrust it in Ratchet's direction. It all happened in the space of two seconds.

A morphing-colored crack appeared on the ground and quickly snaked towards Talwyn. She rolled to the side but failed to evade the crack. When it reached her, the ground surged up and back, launching her backwards into the air.

Ratchet was able to fire another round before a blast of morphing-colored wind knocked him back into a rocky wall. Though he was tough, Ratchet could only take so much of a beating without nanotech. The blast hurt and made Ratchet yell but the pain was manageable. Ratchet looked up in time to see Calamity's foot in his face.

The kick made Ratchet see double, his ears ring, and his nose bleed badly. It also knocked him back into the wall. Dazed and disoriented, Ratchet struggled to lift the fog in his mind. He looked up as Calamity grabbed him by the tail. He wasn't gentle and Ratchet yelped as he felt pain in his tail and rear.

Clank yelled and ran. He didn't care about his own safety; he wanted to help his friend, "Ratchet!"

Calamity lifted Ratchet till he was eyelevel with him. "Admittedly, I was surprised to see something that wasn't human but you've proven to be a bit more interesting." Ratchet was stunned and weak from the beating; he was unable to offer any resistance.

* * *

The Cooper gang had been walking on the road for a bit over an hour. Carmelita then resumed fuming about Sly's deception, "Sly, if we get out of this alive, I don't want to see you again."

Her words cut deep into the thief's heart. He felt badly hurt, "Carmelita, I did it because I love you. I wanted to live my life with you. I was willing to give up being a thief to be with you."

"You still lied to me," the hurt vixen said.

Before Sly could respond, he heard something to the right of the path. He heard yelling and crashing. "Guys, do you hear that?" He said as he walked off the path.

Carmelita perked her ears and heard it to. She followed Sly. Bentley heard it but it was very faint. He too followed. Murray didn't hear the sounds but followed.

Sly picked up the pace as he realized the sounds were of distress. He began sprinting as he heard someone yell in pain. Sly became focused on helping whoever was in danger.

His focus almost got him seriously hurt as he almost ran off the edge of a cliff. Murray grabbed the master thief and kept him from plummeting down the steep cliff. Murray said as he grabbed his friend, "Got ya Sly!"

Everyone looked down and saw something tall, caped figure holding a smaller figure by its tail. The tall, strange figure said, "Admittedly, I was surprised to see something that wasn't human but you've proven to be a bit more interesting."

* * *

Calamity looked away for a second and thrust his free arm out. He commanded a blast of air. The blast knocked back Talwyn; she had recovered from his earlier attack and flew at him again. She had tried to kick him and used her hover-boots to gain momentum. It was in vain as Calamity casually knocked her away like a fly.

"Your girlfriend is quite the pest." He then made a similar motion again but this time kept his arm out. Ratchet followed the motion and his heart almost stopped. Clank was once again floating in the air surrounded by the strange energy. "I want you to say goodbye to your best friend. His demise will be playing through your mind as you slowly meet yours."

Ratchet felt sick, he wanted to fight so he swung but his arms were too short. He hit nothing but air. His futile punches made Calamity shake him a bit. He swung and bounced. The movements hurt and injured his tail, he yelped and howled.

"Calm down pet," Calamity sneered. He then began slowly crushing Clank by closing his fist. Clank grunted as dents began appearing on his body. His small arms and feet were pinned. His glowing green eyes expressed sadness. His expression showed how advanced he was as a robot. He couldn't speak, Calamity prevented it.

Ratchet was horrified, through his tears he yelled, "Clank! No! Let him go! Kill me you monster!"

"I will, in time I will. When I'm finished with your machine friend, I will." He then closed his fist a bit more before shooting the poor, small robot into a boulder. Upon impact all but Clank's right leg fell off and his green eyes shut off.

Ratchet's heart completely sank and he screamed in emotional pain and agony, "CLANK! NO! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!" The fur on his face was soaked. His tears mixed with the blood from the cuts and his bloody nose. "Don't leave me…" Ratchet sniffed and sobbed uncontrollably.

Calamity started to laugh manically. He still held the hurt and defenseless lombax by the tail. "Your turn," he then drew a knife.

* * *

As the bigger figure shot the small machine away, Sly watched through binoculars supplied by Bentley. The bigger figure's actions made Sly both angry and sick. He didn't know any of the figures, the tall one, the short one, the female, nor the small robot/machine. That fact aside, he hated to see the violence that three smaller beings were being given by the tall one. So, Sly said, "We need to get down there and stop this. Bentley you still got those zip-line guns?"

"Here," using the mechanical arms, Bentley grabbed the guns from the storage container on his chair. He then handed one to each member.

Meanwhile the tall figure took his knife and jabbed it into the top of the smaller figure's left shoulder. The angry, hurt, and terrified and yellow-furred creature howled.

Sly aimed his grapple a few feet above the tall figure, at a rock wall, and fired. The gun was silent and its bolt flew just as quietly. It impacted the rock wall and the line went tight. Sly winked before jumping and pulled the trigger again. When the trigger was pulled the second time, the gun quickly began retracting the line. Sly held on tightly as the gun pulled him towards the large figure. He held the gun in one hand and his staff in the other. His feet faced forward, aimed at the figure's head.

His surprise attack worked and Sly's feet nailed the tall, strange figure in the temple. It dropped the smaller, big-eared creature and was actually knocked back a bit.

Seconds later, the rest of Cooper's gang zip-lined down.

Calamity growled; the fact that some kind of vermin had gotten the drop on him ticked him off.

Carmelita grabbed the hand of the yellow and brown furred creature. She pulled him away from the monster. Ratchet grabbed the knife from his shoulder and yanked it out. Pain and relief both flooded his arm. "Thanks, whoever you guys are." He was able to say through the tears.

Carmelita nodded, "No problem."

Seconds later Talwyn joined them. She flew to Ratchet's side.

Calamity crossed his arms, "Reinforcements huh? Did Rykk send you?"

Sly responded, "What is going on here? Why are you torturing these three?" He asked genuinely.

The tall, grey being with glowing, color-changing eyes cracked his neck from side-to-side. "Well, that answers both of my questions. This is my lucky day, and is also your unluckiest. I'm just doing what I do best. Soon, you'll see, you talking fur cap!" Calamity threw both his arms forward and all three ghosts charged the group.

Instantly, Sly, Bentley, Carmelita, Murray, Ratchet, and Talwyn were united. Ratchet was pretty beat but had enough rage that mitigated his pain. He led the charge against the ghosts and Calamity. As he ran, Talwyn tossed him his wrench. He caught it and nailed one of the ghosts. It shrieked and was sent spinning.

Carmelita yelled and shot another with her blaster. It yelled and retreated inside Calamity.

Sly hooked the last one with his cane and yanked it into his fist. The thing vanished on impact and reappeared a short distance away.

Calamity hadn't moved but just smirked as Ratchet ran at him with his wrench. His rage blinded him and all he wanted was to kill the monster that took Clank from him.

Ratchet, Sly, and the rest (With the exception of Bentley and Talwyn) all charged Calamity at the same time. Bentley made his way over to the broken little robot that was once Clank. Talwyn joined the turtle as she realized she didn't have anything to contribute to the fight.

Calamity drew his sword and parried both Ratchet's wrench and Sly's cane. He quickly and smoothly ducked Carmelita's blaster shots as well as Murray's fists. He was fast and though it was a four vs. one fight, Calamity didn't seem to be expending any energy. In fact, he looked calm and just enjoyed their struggles.

However, after a minute of playing with them, Calamity became tired of the charade. He grabbed both the lombax's wrench and the raccoon's staff. He then performed a quick spin. In that one movement, he knocked back all of his assailants and made Sly and Ratchet lose their weapons.

Calamity held the wrench in his right hand and the staff in his left. "These would be neat weapons if they weren't already worthless. Oh well, guess I should give them back." Using the color-morphing energy, Calamity shot both weapons back to their owners.

Sly managed to duck his own staff. Its non-curved side embedded itself in the rock wall.

Ratchet was a bit more unfortunate (as usual). The head of his wrench impacted his right forearm, breaking it. Ratchet's bones gave a loud snap that made the gang grimace. Ratchet screamed as it was a compound fracture. The bone did show through his fur and even his suit. Blood began to drip from the wound; its color matched the ground it landed on. The nanotech in the lombax was very low but was able to heal enough to stop most of the bleeding. It was still dripping, but it by itself wasn't life threatening.

Calamity was then surrounded by the four. Ratchet wasn't much of a threat to him though. "You're just like humans; you all think you're so tough because of your child's toys." The dark entity chuckled. "You think they're your salvation. There is no salvation for you." With that, he did a quick spin in midair and landed with a punch to the ground. The ground rippled from his hand, like water on a pond. Everyone tried to jump over the ripple of rock and dirt but they all failed. They were all sent sprawling back. Talwyn landed hard and was knocked out.

Calamity then shifted his attention to the Cooper gang. "You know what I like just as much, if not more than, causing physical pain? Mental pain and anguish, it is just as decadent." He then pointed his hand in Bentley's direction.

The turtle's wheelchair then began to levitate towards Calamity. Bentley dropped Clank to the ground as gently as he could. He then tried in vain to get away.

"I gather that you are a friend to the raccoon." Calamity observed. He then angrily shot the disabled reptile to the ground. He pinned Bentley underneath his own chair. The impact hurt and made the turtle lose his glasses. Then Calamity used the strange energy to drag the pinned reptile across the hot, dirty, rocky ground. Bentley screamed in pain as the rocks cut and beat him.

Sly yanked his staff from the rock and jumped at Calamity, his staff held high.

Calamity grabbed the thief's staff like he had done it a thousand times before. Before he shifted his attention to Sly, he shot Bentley and his chair at Carmelita and Murray.

Bentley yelled as he crashed into them and knocked them both down. He was bloody and badly bruised.

Ratchet was on the ground, his arm's pain was intense. That and the stab wound and the beating he had, put him out of commission.

Calamity swung the staff and Sly into the ground. It hurt and made Sly briefly see double. Sly leapt to his feet and stepped back. He still had his staff. _How do I win this? He shrugs off everything we throw at him. It's not like we can run either._ Sly was desperate to end this fight, preferably by taking Calamity down.

Sly heard Murray roar and saw the enraged hippo charge Calamity. He joined Murray in the charge and yelled. _This is for Bentley you monster!_

Calamity wanted the raccoon first. He grabbed the hippo's fist and flipped him. He then threw the hippo into a rock wall and then pushed Sly back with his foot.

Sly screamed as Calamity kicked him on the side of his knee, breaking it. He fell down and felt his throat being grabbed and lifted.

Calamity looked around, "If any of you value your lives or that of your friends, you'll stay back!" He shouted as he knocked Murray back with an air blast. He then pulled his knife, the same one he had stabbed Ratchet with, into his grip. He then jabbed it into Sly's torso. Sly yelled as it punctured his gut. "Oh don't worry," Calamity said in a mocking, comforting tone. "This wound isn't fatal, just for pain. Don't want you to die too soon." He withdrew the blade and jabbed Sly again, this time in his lower stomach/upper thigh. Sly yelled again but was unable to do anything.

The ringtail's yells were music to Calamity; his pained and hurt expression like manna. "Oh, I almost forgot to brand you." Calamity said and watched the color drain from his victim's face.

Calamity used his knife to cut Sly's shirt off. "Odd, you seem so similar to humans." Calamity observed out loud before placing his palm on Sly's chest.

Sly felt the large hand on his fur, almost instantly there was an intense burning sensation. Smoke began to billow from the burning fur and Sly yelled loudly. His screams of agony echoed through the landscape.

Calamity held his hand there for a minute before withdrawing it. He revealed a glowing, circular mark on Sly's chest. The symbol burned away any fur it had touched. It was the same symbol that Calamity had on his shoulders and back. "There finished with you… for now." With that, Calamity tossed Sly aside like a rag. Carmelita and Murray ran to help him.

Calamity then started walking towards the badly hurt Ratchet. No one dared move this time. They were all either too tired, hurt, scared, or tending to the wounds of another. Talwyn was knocked out and unable to help. As he approached the hurt lombax, Calamity drew his knife. Normally he would've used his sword, but he wanted this to be personal. "Say hello to your father and Alistair for me," Calamity mocked. With that, he sent his blade into Ratchet.

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Well that was brutal wasn't it? That's the end... heck no!

Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more


	3. Chapter 3, Rykk

I know this is a short one, the next chapter should be longer. I'm just eager to introduce my other, main, OC named Rykk.

Again, I hope you enjoy it.

Reviews are love,

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Chapter 3, Rykk

Ratchet gasped and yelped as the knife went into one of his lungs. Calamity purposely drove the blade into Ratchet's lung so he would die slowly; slower than by a stab wound to the heart. He also made sure to miss any major blood vessels.

Ratchet began to gasp and wheeze as his lung collapsed. He only had a few minutes, maybe. Terror and sadness took the young lombax. _Clank, I'm so sorry. I should have left you at the Clock. You would still be alive if I had. Now, we are both dead, killed by some psychopath. Some hero I am._

Calamity walked away, "You will get to see your girlfriend suffer before you die." He drug her to within view of Ratchet. He couldn't move, just struggle to breathe. Talwyn was still out. Calamity tapped her lightly, "Hey, hey, wake up pretty. I have a surprise for you." He said in a sing-song tone.

She woke up quickly but snarled as she realized where she was. "Get away from me,"

Calamity shook his head, "Why Talwyn, don't you want to watch your boyfriend die?" The sing-song, mocking tone in his voice continued. He motioned in Ratchet's direction.

Talwyn nervously followed his motion and she almost broke down. "R, Ratchet? You're going to be okay, right?"

Ratchet couldn't speak, just gasped and nodded, yes.

Calamity just smiled, soaking in the pain, suffering, and sadness like an overeager sponge. "Oh no… he'll be dead in less than ten minutes." He bent his knees so that he was eyelevel with Talwyn. He looked at her as he said, "I figured he'd like to see his girlfriend." The psycho then forcibly kissed her. He wasn't attracted to her in any way; he had no sexual urges or desires. He did it purely for Ratchet's "entertainment".

Talwyn's stomach turned when the psycho put his lips to hers. She tried to resist, but he was way too strong. She felt so ashamed and couldn't imagine how her boyfriend felt. His situation made her feel bad enough; this was a whole new level of evil.

When Calamity released her, he smiled. "It's been a while since I've kissed anyone."

"Just kill me so I can haunt you." Talwyn said spitefully.

"Kill you?" With that Calamity grabbed her arm and bent it back. He bent it till her elbow broke and the arm bent in an… unnatural position. She shrieked; it was an ear-piercing sound.

Calamity then said in a very dark tone, "I will kill you, but first, you'll bleed, you'll scream, you'll break, and you'll beg for mercy that will never come. I **wil own you all!**" He then broke out in rapturous laughter.

She fell and locked eyes with Ratchet. They both knew. In that moment, they exchanged; sadness, pain, humiliation, anger, and rage. Calamity's laughter was muffled as the two exchanged looks.

The same was happening with Sly and Carmelita. Sly couldn't walk, his knee was broken and the stab wounds were excruciating. Carmelita was bruised and beaten but was otherwise fine. She wasn't going to leave though. She had been angry at Sly but now, she cared for no one else.

"Carmelita," -Sly winced as pain shot through his broken knee- "I'm sorry about the lie. But I do love you, no matter what happens, I always will."

For once in her life, Carmelita was silent. She didn't know what to say.

Suddenly the ground began to shake and Calamity stopped laughing. He looked around then snarled.

A streak of black, lightning-like energy flew at Calamity. He was able to block it with a chunk of rock but was still knocked into a rock wall. A black figure with tall, pointy ears landed where Calamity once stood. The figure looked at Ratchet and tossed him a syringe. Inside it was a slightly-glowing, green-blue liquid. "Inject yourself, you'll be fine." It/he said. His voice sounded like a young man but also had a slight supernatural voice to it. The figure was shorter than Calamity but taller than Ratchet. He stood in around 6'4" and wore a black robe with black pants. The robe had a thin silver trim on its sleeves and edges. He didn't wear a shirt under the robe. On his chest was a glowing, purple, triangular symbol. The figure had pitch-black skin, medium-length black hair with a purple shimmer to it, and a furry black tail. The tail's tip had a tuft with a dark purple tip.

Ratchet, though severely weak, took the syringe with his unhurt arm. He drove the needle into his opposite shoulder. Ratchet knew he probably had less than a minute left. In a regular situation he wouldn't have taken a drug from someone he didn't know. But his life on the line, he took the alien drug.

Calamity shook off the blast and approached the pointy-eared figure. "Rykk, you just missed out on the fun."

"Figured as such, having a good day Calamity?" Rykk grinned. His grin wasn't friendly; it was laced with anger and hate.

"I was," Calamity scowled before drawing his sword.

Rykk himself drew a pair of Tonfa-styled blades. The blades were silver in color and had a dull, black edge that protected Rykk's forearms. He twirled both blades before getting into a low combat stance. Rykk snarled, revealing sharp and pointed teeth.

The two enemies ran at each other. Their blades clashed. Rykk's twin blades were silver blurs.

Calamity, even though he had one sword, was able to keep up with Rykk's dual weapons.

A second after injecting the blue/green chemical into his body, Ratchet began to feel strange. It was a good kind of strange though. He felt a burning yet cold sensation in the wound on his chest. He was able to glance down and saw the wound heal enough to seal his lung. It wasn't completely healed, but -with a deep gasp/breath- Ratchet was able to breathe. He resisted yelling as he felt the bone in his forearms retract back into his arm. It, like his chest wound, wasn't fully healed.

Sly was in pain but felt some relief from the new character called Rykk. His leg was in agony and his chest literally burned. Bentley was scraped, cut, and bruised badly. Murray had helped him back into his broken wheelchair. Carmelita lay next to Sly. Her gun was lying past the fighting pair.

Talwyn's arm was in severe pain as she crawled over to Ratchet.

He was in better shape thanks to the serum. But Ratchet was an emotional wreck. He had caught a glimpse of his broken, robotic friend. That glimpse made him break into heavy sobbing and weeping. _Clank, because of him I became a hero. He was the only one that stuck by me, no matter how much of a jerk I was. I can't believe he's gone! He's gone like Alistair, the lombaxes, my mother, and my father._

Talwyn tried to comfort the hysterical lombax. Her attention constantly shifted between Ratchet and Rykk and Calamity.

The Cooper gang also watched Calamity and Rykk's fight with great interest.

Calamity soon got an opening and kicked Rykk back.

Rykk astounded everyone (except Calamity) by disappearing into the ground. There was no hole, no crevice, nor a door. Rykk simply went into the ground like a ghost.

Sly was both scared and impressed. _Now, that kind of skill would've made my job very easy._

Calamity didn't show any surprise, just concentration as he tried to locate his enemy. "Come on Rykk! You're not one for hiding!" He stomped his foot into the ground and dozens of strange energy snaked out in a radius from his foot. They moved through the ground rapidly.

A black circle appeared in front of the expanding cracks. Rykk appeared from the black spot and the spot disappeared.

Both Rykk and Calamity face each other, each in a combat ready position. Calamity shook his head, "This is neither the time nor the place I want to end you, Rykk. Those animals, sure, they're just toys. But you… we have a lot of history. I want to savor your demise in the appropriate atmosphere."

"If you think we're both getting out of this alive…"

"Oh, we will…" Calamity performed a throwing motion. A baseball-sized rock was pulled by Calamity's energy and struck Carmelita in the chest. Sly yelled but there wasn't anything he could do. "…but I'm doubtful she will." With that, Calamity flew into the pale yellow sky.

Rykk looked at Calamity then at Carmelita. The rock's impact had clearly done damage to the strange, fox/human creature. Rykk looked back into the sky and saw Calamity afar off. He gave a grunt of great frustration as he turned and went to help the hurt stranger.

Sly was petrified when Carmelita was struck by the chunk of rock. He crawled, painfully, to her. She was breathing hard and Slay checked her pulse. It was erratic and Sly became very upset. _Crap! That monster gave her Tachycardia!_ Sly couldn't figure out what to do. The sound of the person/creature known as Rykk landing startled him.

"She's got Tachycardia," Sly was able to say.

Rykk checked her pulse, his cat-like, glowing green eyes moved as he counted. "I'm out of Healer Valkyrie, but there's an outpost near here." Rykk bent down and carefully picked up Carmelita.

Sly protested but Rykk ignored him, he was in no position to argue. He was saving this fox-persons' life.

Sly, Bentley, and Murray watched as Rykk flew away with Carmelita in his arms.

"Does anyone else have a billion questions?" Murray asked.

"More like a trillion," Bentley responded. "Who or what are those things?! And how did that one called Calamity drag me?! That freaking hurt!"

"Worse than being stabbed twice, having your knee broken, and branded?" Sly retorted. Everything hurt. Looking down, he saw the circular symbol embedded in his grey fur. _Branding? What kind of monster brands? What does this symbol even mean? Look at me; I was the best thief in the world. The kind people romanticize about and now, I'm broken and helpless. My friends are hurt badly and Carmelita… who knows what that thing is doing to her._

Ratchet wasn't in mortal danger but was still hurt enough to where he couldn't move. He had calmed down enough to speak coherently. "I can't believe this."

Talwyn tried to comfort him, "Ratchet, I'm sorry about Clank, but he's a robot right?"

Ratchet nodded, "Yeah."

"So we can fix him," she gently grabbed Ratchet's chin and her diamond blue eyes looked into his. The circular emeralds were surrounded by veins of red. "You can fix him, you're the one that built his own ship out of scraps remember?"

He sniffed, "Yeah… I did, didn't I?"

"Look, I don't have a clue where we are or what we're involved in. I do know this," Her tone was calm and cool. "I love you and this Rykk; he saved us, so maybe he can tell us what's going on."


	4. Chapter 4, The Situation

Okay, here's four. I guess it's a bit longer than the last one. Anyways enjoy!

Oh and please, reviews are needed if I am to continue this story.

Thanks,

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Chapter 4, The Situation

As Sly, Bentley, and Murray contemplated their situation they heard a roar. That roar made the hair on the back of their necks stand on end.

Murray looked around, "Guys, that big cat is back!" A few hundred yards away stood the same, tiger-like, big cat that had attacked the Cooper gang earlier.

Sly groaned loudly, "Aw come on! Just one break today, is that too much to ask?!"

Murray got into his fighting stance, "Come on! The Murray isn't afraid of a big furball!"

The thing roared and charged.

Sly's prayer was answered. While the cat was in mid-stride, Rykk appeared. He came up through the ground underneath the cat and jammed both of his blades into it. The cat roared as Rykk got out from underneath it.

The thing lay on the ground and Rykk finished it off with his blades. "I hate Prowlers," Rykk muttered as he faced Sly. "Your friend will be okay, I also have some more Healer. It won't completely fix ya but it'll allow you to walk."

As he approached the hurt raccoon Rykk morphed. His sharpie-black skin turned into a slightly tanned, light pink/brown, mostly-hairless skin. He bore a similarity to Talwyn in that he had a patch of hair on the top of his head. His ears were still covered in black fur. The hair on his head was black but outlined in dark, dark purple. His eyes, still green, didn't glow but still had the vertical-slit pupils. His clothes also changed. He now wore a crimson shirt, black pants, a black vest with a gold S on its right side, and black cowboy boots. Rykk still had his tail coming from a hole on the pants' rear.

_Okay, that's another question I have. _Sly thought as Rykk kneeled down. Almost instantly a syringe filled with a blue/green liquid appeared in his hand. _That's another one to add to the list._ Sly grimaced as he felt the needle prick his skin. He felt the cool liquid flow into his veins and instantly he felt a tingling sensation. He had to force himself not to yell as he felt his knee go back into place and his cuts heal.

Within a few seconds the master thief was able to stand and walk.

Rykk then gave some more of the Healer to Talwyn and Bentley. He didn't say anything.

As Rykk healed the others, Ratchet picked up Clank and any pieces of the robot that he found.

Once everyone was on their feet again Rykk said/barked, "Follow me." His voice sounded much more plain and didn't have the supernatural note to it.

"Wait, where are we going? And where are we?" Talwyn asked.

"To the outpost I took your friend, it's not too far." Rykk said with the slightest hint of annoyance, "Welcome to Agrona. Now, who are you guys?"

Talwyn responded, "I don't know who they are." She motion towards the Cooper gang, "But I'm Talwyn and this is Ratchet…"

"And this is Clank," Ratchet said as he looked down at the broken robot in his arms. "Calamity did this to him."

Rykk stopped and looked at the broken robot. "It's what Calamity does, destroy. I have a friend who can help you at the outpost." He then turned his attention to the raccoon and his gang. "And you guys?"

"I'm Sly Cooper and these are my friends Bentley, and Murray. Carmelita is the one that Calamity hurt." Sly said and pointed to each member as he spoke.

Rykk nodded as they came to a small cliff. The cliff was about twenty feet high. "Ratchet, hold Clank up."

"Why?"

"Just do it," Rykk said gruffly as he leapt to the top of the cliff.

Ratchet held his broken friend up as high as he could.

Rykk lowered his arm and pointed it at Clank. A black and purple line of energy shot from his hand and enveloped Clank. Clank then began to levitate towards Rykk. Once at the top, Clank was gently laid on the ground.

"Everyone, get close together and hang onto one another!" Rykk shouted and waited for them.

They did as they were told but were nonetheless confused.

Again Rykk shot a black and purple line of energy but this time it hit the ground at their feet. The group of bewildered strangers found themselves, and the ground beneath them, rising.

Once at the top Rykk asked, "So how did you guys get here? Obviously you aren't local."

The two groups look at each other before Sly answered. "Well one of my team members discovered some kind of portal. While examining it, we were pulled into it."

Rykk then looked at Ratchet, "What about you?"

"Basically the same thing, do you know how we can go back to our worlds?"

Rykk shook his head, "Nope, not sayin there isn't a way, but this place is big and there's many types of portals."

Rykk's response made Ratchet even more disheartened. He looked down at Clank in his arms, "Rykk, why did that, that Calamity do this to us? We didn't do a thing to him, not even said a word."

"Simple answer, because he enjoyed it. It's what he does; it's what brings him pleasure." Rykk practically spat. "So Sly and Ratchet, I'm guessing you two are the leaders of your groups."

The thief and the hero both looked at each other and shrugged, "I guess so." Sly responded. "Now you know who we are, who are you Rykk?"

Rykk looked backed at Sly and gave him a bit of a stern look. "That is a long, complicated, and painful story. Suffice it to say, all you need to know is that, I'm a friend, I'm helping you, and will continue to." Rykk shifted his gaze towards the heartbroken lombax, "You aren't the first of your kind I've met."

Ratchet instantly perked up, "Wha, what do you mean?"

"I mean that you aren't the first lombax I've laid eyes on; nor are you second, third, or two-thousandth. In fact the friend we're seeing is a lombax."

"So… what are you Rykk?" Talwyn asked boldly.

"I'm not a lombax," he said sharply. It was evident that no one was going to get much out of Rykk. "There's a settlement of lombaxes we call Velocity but it'll take days to get there on foot. Trust me; right now being out at night isn't a good idea for you guys."

"From what we've seen, I'm inclined to agree with you." Bentley concurred.

"There's another city that's closer than the Velocity. It's not a lombax city but a human one. It's called New Elko; I'll take you there whenever we leave the outpost."

"Excuse me, what are humans? Calamity spoke of them to." Bentley asked.

"They're a race, somewhat similar to you guys. You'll see them at the outpost."

"Rykk, how'd you pull out the syringes you used to heal us?" Sly asked.

Rykk motioned towards his waistline, on it was a belt with dozens of black squares on it. Each square had a glowing green, vertical line on it. "This is called a Utility, a very common piece of tech. Each square can hold an object as long as that object is under a certain size or weight." Bentley and Ratchet were both greatly interested in Rykk's utility. They were able to get a few technical questions in before Rykk said, "If you have any more questions, ask them when we get to the outpost."

"Is it just me," Murray leaned and whispered to Sly, "Or does this guy seem a bit edgy?"

Rykk stopped and turned his head slightly to the side. Ratchet saw his ear perk a bit.

"If my ears didn't deceive me, I swore I heard someone doubt my help." Rykk said sternly.

Everyone froze when they saw the equally serious expression on Rykk's face. His eyes practically shot laser beams.

"Sorry about my friend here, it's been a rough day." Sly apologized for Murray. The pink hippo was frozen.

That seemed to satisfy their guide. He grunted, "Next time you want to talk about someone behind their back, make sure you're out of their hearing range." He said with a slightly lighter tone.

_Okay, gotta be careful with this guy._ Sly thought and made a mental note.

Talwyn look at Ratchet and he returned the look. They both shrugged and continued walking.

Ratchet shrugged off the incident; he was too excited that he was going to meet other lombaxes!

The group, led by Rykk, walked for another hour before coming upon the outpost. By that time, the sun had begun to set. The yellow sky turned into a mass of blue, red, and purple. A huge green moon soon began to rise.

The post consisted of five buildings. The place had an aged and wind-worn look. Three of the buildings weren't much more than glorified shacks. Going to and fro from the buildings, to Ratchet's delight, were lombaxes. They had either golden yellow or snow white fur with either brown or crimson stripes on their ears and tails. Among them were what he assumed were humans. They had pinkish/brown skin; most had hair on their heads but weren't covered in it (similar to Talwyn), and no tails. They all, lombax or human, wore rustic, western-style clothes. Most were brown or black leather or cloth.

Sly wasn't quite sure what to think about their situation. _I mean I had just settled down with Carmelita a few months ago and now, now me and my gang are involved in… something. We're stuck on some strange alien world and were almost killed by some monster only to be saved by some kind of good monster! Ugh, Carmelita and I need to take a long vacation to Florida when this is said and done._

Rykk led the group to one of the bigger buildings. It was four stories tall and had a sign above the door that read: _The Dragon Tavern_. Sounds of laughter, ruckus, and the music of a merry piano passed through the door. Rykk pushed open the door, "Follow me, and stay close." He ordered. "Our friend is upstairs."

Inside, both lombax and human were sharing drinks and drunkenness. There were both human and lombax females in dresses that marked their profession. The place was a decent-sized bar for the post, able to hold around fifty people. At the time of their entry, it held around sixty.

Rykk guided the group to the back of the tavern.

Talwyn, at one point, had to shove off a young, drunk lombax that had grabbed her. His yellow fur and clothes were a mess, "Come on baby, let me show you a good time." He stammered and, to make matters worse, hiccupped and burped simultaneously in her face.

Talwyn recoiled and shoved him away. She hurriedly caught up with her group. Rykk led them up a stairway to the third floor. He took them down a hall and they came upon an older lombax leaving a room. Rykk waved to him, "Hey Oliver, brought the rest."

"Ah, hey there," Oliver greeted. He had white fur with brown stripes. The fur on his chin and above his eyes had a silver tint to it, indicating his age. He wore the typical western garb but also had a key ring on his belt.

_Must be the inn keeper,_ Sly thought.

"I'm Oliver Tact, I run this inn. And luckily for your friend in there, I'm also a doctor." He then shook hands with everyone and got their names. He then took them to an empty room and examined their wounds. Thanks to the Healer serum they were given, everyone just needed some bandages.

Ratchet was the last to get examined, when he was done he asked, "Can you help me fix my friend?" Ratchet said as he held Clank out.

Oliver retrieved a pair of glasses and studied the broken robot. "I might, but let me get a hold of someone who I know can help."

Rykk gave Oliver a curious look and asked, "Bones?"

Oliver nodded, "Right now he's helping Leo repair some damage some dang Nocturnes did to a power station. He said they should be done by tomorrow. I can take your robot…"

"His name is Clank," Ratchet said quickly.

Oliver raised an eyebrow, "…Clank, I'll take him and prep him for you and Bones tomorrow." Ratchet carefully handed over his best friend over to Oliver. "Tonight, ya'll need to rest. I got four rooms open." Oliver took four keys of his ring and handed them to Rykk. "Rykk, your room's set. I'll let you choose who goes where."

Rykk then began to give out the keys. "Talwyn, to keep things simple, I want you to room with Carmelita."

She shrugged and took her key, "Fine."

"Ratchet and Sly, here's room 318. Bentley and Murray, room 320 is yours." He said as he gave them their keys.

They were all tired so they didn't argue as they took their keys.

Ratchet and Sly quickly found their room. It had two, twin beds, a small bathroom, and a small kitchen. The room had a warm and comforting feeling due to the soft, yellow lamps and wooden floor and walls.

As they entered Sly said, "I'm sorry about your friend."

Ratchet sat on the edge of his bed and took his boots off. "Thanks, the two of us just couldn't catch a break y'know?"

"Yeah…" Sly thought for a sec as he too took off his boots. "We haven't properly met have we?"

Ratchet shook his head as he threw off the upper part of his badly damaged armor. "No, guess we haven't."

"Well," Sly offered his hand, "I'm Sly Cooper."

Ratchet shook it, "Nice to meet ya, I'm Ratchet."

Sly tilted his head slightly in puzzlement, "Pleased to meet you, have a last name?"

Ratchet shook his head, "Don't know it and never needed it. I was an orphan."

"So was I," Sly said as he lay down. The bed felt nice and soft against his grey fur. "Well, I'm beat."

"Same here,"

With that the hero and the thief soon fell asleep.

* * *

Okay so Rykk is a bit of an... interesting sort isn't he? Any thoughts about him? About Calamity? The Story in general?


	5. Chapter 5, Know Thy Enemy

Alright, well you asked for it, here's five.

Wanna say thanks to evil Ratchet96 and Werdna213 for the reviews and encouragement!

Hope you enjoy it,

* * *

Chapter 5, Know Thy Enemy,

* * *

Ratchet was so beat (literally) that he slept for twelve hours (five hours over his normal time). He slept deeply and didn't even hear Sly's snoring.

His eyes cracked open and he sat up in his bed. He stretched his arms up high and felt relief as his back popped. Ratchet rubbed his eyes and yawned. _Well that was a good rest._ He looked around, Sly was still out and Ratchet saw on the dresser, two piles of folded clothes, each with a note. _Hope that's for me would rather not walk around wearing only my ripped up armor._ His armor was basically unwearable; the upper body portion of his armor was nearly shredded. He got out of the bed; the air being blown by ceiling fan rippled the yellow fur on his chest and back, it felt nice and cool.

He approached the piles of clothes and found the one with his name on it. He then read the note,

_**Ratchet, figured you needed these. Get dressed and cleaned up. There's soap and shampoo in the bathroom. Then, come down to the bar to get something to eat. We'll be waiting.**_

_**-Rykk**_

_How'd he get my sizes?_ Ratchet thought as he observed the clothes; a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt, a dark grey cloth vest, dark grey pants, and black leather, cowboy-style boots. _Hm, not exactly my style but don't have much of a choice._ He took the clothes to the bathroom, took a shower, and changed. The clothes fit nearly perfectly and were comfortable. He left as quietly as he could and let Sly sleep.

He found Rykk and Talwyn sitting at a booth. Talwyn waved him over and he sat down.

Oliver walked over a second later, "So what would you like for breakfast/lunch?"

"Get the Tri-horn steak omelet, it's great." Rykk suggested.

"It is good, and big," Talwyn stated and held up her hands to emphasize her statement. "I couldn't finish mine."

The mention of food reminded Ratchet of how hungry he was. "That sounds great, and what do you have to drink that's not alcoholic?"

Oliver shrugged, "Got Tri-horn milk, water, Fangor fruit juice, Prime, which is a soda, and Youth's Elixir, also a soda."

"I'll try the Fangor,"

"That's good as well; it'll be out in a few minutes."

* * *

Sly had woken up once during the night. He had a nightmare that reflected the day's past events; _his knee being broken, the knife entering his flesh, being branded, and seeing Carmelita hurt by the rock._ He woke up in a panic. His breathing was hard and he was sweating. _Aw crap, come on!_

Sly needed some air. So he quietly left the room and decided to take a walk around the inn.

He had only been walking for a minute before he came upon Rykk leaving his room. Sly quickly noticed the scars on Rykk's torso. There were quite a few white lines on Rykk's bare skin. Their newfound friend was wearing a pair of black, silken pants with duel, red lines down the pants' legs. Sly also saw that the hair on Rykk's head also grew in a line down his back; it followed his spine to his tail.

"Can't sleep Sly?" Rykk asked. His voice had a calm and caring tone, different from the barking, edgy one he had when they were getting to the post.

"Yeah, today's events keep playing through my mind."

Rykk nodded, "Been there, been doing it every night."

Rykk and Sly began to walk, "Thanks for saving us back there from… him."

Rykk shrugged, "No problem, besides, been trying to take him out for a long time."

"What exactly is going on? I mean yesterday I was in a nice city living with the woman I love and today we're taken to another world and almost killed by that psychopath!" Sly asked/vented.

Rykk looked away for a second, "Y'know what? A couple years ago I was taken to this world to." The serious tone returned to Rykk's voice. "No, I'm not originally from this place. And, like you, upon arrival was almost killed by him as well."

"How'd you survive?"

"Luck, that and some help from the people of New Elko. This planet… messes with you." Rykk then took a turn down a hall that dead-ended into a wall. He stopped and looked at it. His head moved up and down, left and right as if looking for something.

"What are you doing?" Sly asked.

Rykk turned his head and Sly saw that his black, slit pupils did glow a bright yellow. The sight startled him and he visibly jumped.

Sly's reaction seemed to amuse Rykk. He chuckled and grinned, "It's ok just making sure there's nothing outside. Go back to bed, I'll see you later." With that, Rykk stepped forward into the wall. He disappeared into it, leaving Sly alone.

Sly was a bit creeped out by what had seen. Still, he figured Rykk didn't mean anything by it. It was just another thing about his new friend that seemed… different.

With that, Sly made his way back to his room and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Talwyn and Rykk were right, the omelet was big. However, it wasn't big enough to defeat Ratchet's hunger. Shortly after Ratchet had started eating, Bentley and Murray came down and ordered the same thing. Sly followed a few minutes later and had the same.

There was little talk as they ate, seemed to suit everyone fine.

Once they finished, Rykk spoke. "Guys, here's the plan, Oliver said that it would be another day before Carmelita will be able to leave. Ratchet, I was informed that Bones was a bit delayed but will be here in a little under an hour. So, until then I'll do my best to answer some of your many questions."

Everyone looked at each other; each member had a curious look, as if to say, "really?"

"Who or what is Calamity?" Ratchet asked in a serious and cold manner.

"He's a human that is combined with a dangerous entity called a Being. Beings emit a deadly but powerful energy called Dark Radiation. They are found inside black, red, and white swirled spheres we call, appropriately, Dark Radiation cores. These cores emit some Dark Radiation but it would take multiple cores to reach lethal levels. These cores are rare and indestructible, that is, until they are touched by a human or lombax. Then it is fragile and if broken, releases the Being inside. The Beings cannot, without proper equipment, live too long outside their cores. They need a host. However, the Beings' Dark Radiation will begin to kill victim before the Being can bond. Should the victim be injected with Valkyrie (I'll get to that later) or have their healing ability enhanced, the Bonding process will complete. Once finished, the victim and Being will become a single entity called a Bonded; how the Bonded acts, looks, and its abilities are based on multiple factors; genetics, the personalities of the Being, the victim, and a few others. Once a victim is Bonded to a Being, it's permanent. There is no way to reverse the process.

Calamity is a Bonded, as far as I can tell, it's the Being that's in control of him. Each Bonded also has control of at least one puppet, those black ghost things you saw. Whatever they see or hear, he can see and hear as well.

As you saw his is extremely sadistic and powerful. He lives to inflict carnage and pain, as it is the one thing that brings him pleasure and fulfillment. There is no bargaining, pleading, nor deal you can make with him. As you guys saw; he can manipulate nonliving matter using an energy that's unique to Calamity, he calls it, Ravage." Rykk finished his description and leaned back in his seat.

"What's Valkyrie exactly?" Bentley asked.

"It's a green/yellow crystalline substance that has literally thousands of uses. 'Course it has to be refined and processed depending on what you need but it is what powers our utilities, powers our lights, heals people, can make them stronger and faster, and it makes a decent seasoning. Those are just a few uses."

"Forgive me, but I must ask this." Sly stated before asking, "What exactly are you Rykk? Are you a… Bonded?"

Rykk furrowed his brow and his ears bent back. Again, it was like laser beams shot from his eyes. This time however, they were aimed at Sly and with much greater intensity. Rykk borderline growled, "I am…"

Twinges of fear shot through the group, each member unsure of what to do or feel.

"Doesn't mean I like it though. Let me one thing straight," He growled in firm manner, "I may be a Bonded, but I am **nothing** like Calamity."

Ratchet looked up, "Well, you saved our lives so you must be nothing like him." He was the most trusting in Rykk.

Talwyn was a bit wary after the reveal but knew she didn't have much choice but to trust Rykk. She just sat back in her seat.

Sly was also slow to trust Rykk, especially after last nights' chat, but knew he didn't have a choice. He just took a nervous sip of his drink.

Bentley didn't care that Rykk was a Bonded, he was grateful for his help. "I agree with Ratchet, you're nothing like him and I'm glad you're helping us."

Murray agreed with Bentley and Ratchet. "You seem cool, sorry about what I said yesterday."

Rykk waved his hand, "No problem. Anyways I'm sure you guys have more questions?"

"What's Parson?" Bentley asked.

"It was a settlement that was here before me, New Elko, and the lombaxes. It is where Calamity came from and he was the one that destroyed it. Now, it's nothing but haunted ruins. You see, they had stored up dozens of Dark Radiation Cores that have, and continue to, dump Dark Radiation throughout the ruins. The Radiation has transformed the wildlife there, making them even more dangerous and ghoulish. They are dependent on the Cores' energy, so they don't leave the ruins. Archeologists still venture into the ruins. Most don't make it, if the wildlife doesn't do them in, the Radiation would eventually."

"When we get up and moving, what are we going to do?" Talwyn asked. "I really want to go back home."

Rykk shook his head solemnly, "We would have to find the right portal. However, that could take a very, very long time. Also, Calamity now knows about you guys and will be searching for you. You want to stay alive? Stay with me and stay low. Besides, Calamity is the worst thing around, but he isn't the only bad thing."

"Trust me; we've been in rough places before." Ratchet said, "I grew up in one. Once Clank is fixed, I want to take Calamity down." He said with a determined tone. "I've run into crazy people in the past, but this guy is on a whole new level of dangerous."

Rykk raised an eyebrow, "Ordinarily, I would try to talk you out of this. I will let you know this, either way you choose; I cannot guarantee that anyone here will make it through this. I will do my best to keep you all alive."

Ratchet and Talwyn looked at each other, "Ratchet, do you really want to get involved in this?"

The lombax's face took a grave expression, "We're already involved Tal, Calamity broke Clank, tortured us, and he knows everything about us. That and the lombaxes are in danger from this monster. I have to help."

Talwyn nodded, "I'm in."

Rykk then looked at Sly and his group. "What do you guys say?"

_What to do?_ Sly had to think for a moment. Normally he wasn't into taking people out, but Calamity wasn't a person. "I can't speak for my friends, but what would I have to do?" Sly asked and in turn, accepted Rykk's proposition.

"I'll get to that in time, what about you two?" He asked Bentley and Murray.

"I'm with you Sly, I'll help anyway I can." Bentley responded.

"The Murray would love to kick Calamity's butt!" Murray responded.

"Well, that's settled."

"Hey Rykk, I was just wondering, how old are you?" Murray asked.

Rykk shrugged, "Not exactly sure, somewhere around nineteen or twenty. I've forgotten when my birthday is."

The group was a little shocked that Rykk was around their ages. They thought that he would be at least in his early thirties.

As Rykk answered Murray's inquiry about his age, his ears perked up. "…Bones is here, and he brought company."

A few seconds later, two human males walked in. Next to them hovered a disk a bit smaller than a Frisbee and an inch thick. There were blue lights flashing on the disk's edge. One man looked to be in his mid-thirties and had dark hair. The other was younger; he looked to be in his early to mid-twenties and had light brown hair.

"So these are the visitors?" The older human asked.

"Yep, guys this is Leo," Rykk pointed at the older man. Leo nodded in a greeting manner. "And the other is Atlas." Atlas waved and Rykk's last sentence was said with just the slightest touch of disdain.

"Where's Bones?" Ratchet asked.

"I'm here," the voice came from the disk. At the same time a blue, holographic, stick figure appeared on it's top. Bones' waved his holographic hand, "Nice to meet you all." His voice had a Australian accent.

"So Bones is a robot?" Sly asked.

"I'm not a robot," Bones corrected. "I'm an A.I., though, I do work through robots."

"Now this is awesome!" Bentley exclaimed, "An actual Artificial Intelligence."

Bones was pleased by the praise, "Thank you, now, which one of you is Ratchet?"

Ratchet raised his hand, "That's me."

"Come with me," With that Bones and Ratchet left the bar and started down a staircase. "Oliver filled me in on Clank as best he could. He and Oliver are downstairs in Oliver's workshop/basement."

Ratchet and Bones entered the basement and found Oliver sitting on a stool and working on his workbench. He had his glasses on and was working on Clank. "Hello gentlemen, just getting things prepped is all. Bones, I got your stand setup."

"Thank you Oliver." The A.I. responded and hovered over to a cylinder-shaped device. The disk touched down on the top of the cylinder and locked in place. The cylinder sort of resembled a trash can. It then hovered till its top was at the correct height to see. From the cylinder extended a half-dozen, mechanical arms; each arm tipped with a different tool.

Ratchet jumped forward, "Whoa! Whoa! What are you going to do?"

Bones' hologram looked up at him, "Why fix your friend of course, I was just about to scan him and gain some information. I do need your help, as much of this technology is new to me."

Ratchet nodded, "Of course."

* * *

"So," Rykk said, "Guys, just relax today. But, unless this place is on fire, I think it best if you stay inside the inn. That is, unless you're with me or Leo or Atlas."

Atlas nodded, "Yea, we'll take care of de lot of ya." His Irish accent took some time for Sly and his gang to get used to. "Et's noit loike dere's a lot ta do around here anyways; notin good dat es."

Rykk nodded, "He's right, this is just a last-chance stop. So, you'll have a lot of personal time."

Leo shrugged, "Heh, I heard that tonight is karaoke night."

Rykk moaned and rubbed his forehead, "Aw great."

Bentley chuckled, "You not a singer Rykk?"

Rykk just gave Bentley a sideways glare.

Atlas smirked, "Most of de time, Roikk's noit a party guy; sometimes e' es but noit usually. Oi'm impressed ya got em talkin dis much."

Rykk just growled and stood up. "You two," he said to Leo and Atlas, "Can you watch them? I've got some things to do."

Leo raised an eyebrow, "What things?"

"Things," Rykk retorted/grunted before leaving the inn.

Sly watched the exchange between Rykk and Leo and Atlas with interest. "Rykk's an… interesting guy isn't he?" He said as Leo and Atlas sat at their table.

Leo laughed lightly, "That would be an understatement. He can be a bit… moody; sometimes he's great and other times, not so great. Like tonight for example, he may be a party animal or a total recluse. You just gotta learn how to tell what mood he's in."

"He seems older than what he said." Talwyn remarked.

"The kid's had to grow up quickly, it's a shame." Leo stated.

"So what happened to him? He seemed awfully protective of his past." Bentley asked.

"Dat es a long story, far too long for roight now. Besoides, we gotta git ta know ya a wee bit more."

"Is he… y'know, dangerous?" Sly asked carefully. He hoped Rykk was out of earshot.

Leo shook his head, "Rykk? Not unless you try to pick a fight with him; that I would not recommend. So, who exactly are you guys?"

"Yea, Oliver was a bit loight on de details." Atlas agreed.

"You wanna tell him who we are Sly?" Bentley asked.

Sly shrugged, "Sure, not like we have a lot to do anyways."

* * *

Ratchet, Oliver, and Bones had been working on Clank for around two hours when Bones said, "Ratchet, I don't think Clank can be restored…"

"Yes he can." Ratchet said firmly.

"You didn't let me finish. I don't think he can be restored to the way he was. For instance, the materials and parts needed to restore his body are lacking. But, I can take his mind and put it into another device. He would be like me. What do you think Oliver?"

The older lombax took a look at their work. "I agree, I don't think we can salvage his body. It's just too mangled."

Ratchet looked at his friend. He was a mess. His metallic limbs were disconnected from his body and his body looked like it would fall apart by a simple touch. Clank's metallic frame was badly dented and ripped open in several places. Wires jutted out, many frayed, and many internal pieces were missing. One of his "eyes" was cracked almost in half and the antenna on the top of his head was missing. The realization that this was the only way he would see Clank again hit him, "Ok, so what kind of device?"

"Oliver, do you still have the D-96 Carrier?"

Oliver nodded, "Yeah it's here somewhere, one second." With that the lombax began to shuffle through a bunch of boxes and crates. "Here it is," he said a minute later. He held a square-shaped device that was about an inch-and-a-half thick. The device was a gun-metal grey with a grid pattern on it.

"How will it take to put him in it?" Ratchet asked eagerly.

"Not long," Oliver answered, "Bones and I were making this as an upgrade for him. But your friend needs it more."

It only took Bones and Oliver a few minutes to transfer Clank's mind to the new "body".

"…and, there!" Bones exclaimed, "We're done."

As he spoke, the lines on the device began to glow green and the device lifted from the table. There was a flash of green light from the top of the device and a green, holographic image of Clank stood. It held its head and the device emitted a groaning sound, "What in the world happened to me?" Clank's voice came from the device.

Ratchet shouted in excitement, "Clank! You're alright!"

"I feel alright, but I seemed to have… changed. What am I?" Clank looked around, "Is that another lombax?" His optical sensors then saw Rykk, "And who is that? What is going on?"…

He asked the questions quickly and Ratchet had to interrupt. "I, we can explain in a second. But for now, this is Rykk, Bones, and Oliver. Rykk saved us from that Calamity monster and Oliver and Bones helped fix you."

The trio then took a bit of time to explain to the confused Clank the situation.

"So… what exactly am I now?" The glowing green hologram of Clank looked around in all directions trying to see himself. "I'm now a hologram?"

"You're still you Clank…" Bones responded. "…Just in a different body. I can teach you how to use it."

Oliver looked at Ratchet, "Whaddya think kid?"

Ratchet was smiling, "I'm just glad he's alive."

"Say kid; let's go see what's going on upstairs. Let's give these two some space."

Ratchet was reluctant to leave his friend but Oliver wasn't asking. "Sure," he turned to his companion, "I'll see you when you're done ok pal?"

Bones was teaching, with a little success, Clank how to move around. Clank paused and waved his glowing green hand, "I'll see you soon Ratchet."

* * *

Bit of a longer chapter, had a lot to explain. Think I gave enough info without giving away too much.

What do you think of Clank's change of body?

Anyways, I'm having fun with this and do have an idea where this is going. Trust me, it's going to get dark.

Stick around and please, your thoughts, ideas, criticisms, and reviews are needed.

Thanks for reading,


	6. Chapter 6, Disturbed Recreation

Wow, I'm on a role! Can't believe I wrote this chapter in practically one day.

Thanks again to Evil Ratchet96 and Trekker 77 for the reviews! Keep them coming!

Thanks for reading, and please give your thoughts on the story, characters, and anything else about Ravage.

* * *

Chapter 6, Disturbed Recreation,

It took Clank a couple hours to adjust to his new body and for Bones to teach him skills he needed. Bones told him that the battery-life of his device was over five years. Though, it still felt good to go into sleep mode. He felt it strange not to have the same limbs and that the only way to express himself was through a hologram. Bones had taught him how to hack into computer systems and other ways to get around and communicate. Still, Clank was unsure, "Bones, I am not sure if I like this form. I feel, less… tangible."

Bones shook his blue, holographic head. "I don't know how you felt before but trust me, you can still form relationships. My closest friend, I knew for almost thirty years."

"Thanks, I am just afraid that Ratchet will have a difficult time. Not just with me, the entire situation."

"I understand," Bones responded. "Hey, let's go see how they're doing." Bones said in an upbeat tone. With that, the A.I. hovered out of the room, he was followed by Clank.

* * *

Sly had talked to Oliver and asked about Carmelita's condition. They were standing in the bar and spoke as Oliver was setting up in preparation for the night. Sly was sipping on a glass of a drink called Black Knight. "She's resting now; I got her heart-rate back to normal and set some broken bones in her chest. She's just very tired and needs rest. If you want to see her, I can check and see if she's awake." He said as he finished flipping the chairs upright.

"If she needs rest…" Sly started.

"Ah, I'll be quiet. Just wait here a second." Oliver then proceeded upstairs.

Murray, Bentley, Ratchet, Leo and Talwyn were out getting some things for Oliver. Atlas was setting up the karaoke equipment. Rykk had not returned yet.

A second after Oliver left to check on Carmelita, Bones and Clank entered. The two holographic figures atop their devices waved to Sly. "Hello Mr. Cooper," Bones welcomed.

"Please call me Sly, Bones; Mr. Cooper makes me feel old." Sly downed the last of his drink. It had a dark and murky taste that, for some reason, appealed to him.

"Hello Sly, I believe we haven't met." Clank said. "I have been told you saved my friend's life. I cannot thank you enough."

"I tried my best to help, but I wasn't a match for Calamity."

"So I heard; where is Ratchet?" Clank asked.

"E's out runnin some chores for Oliver. For tonight," Atlas answered.

Sly's ears heard Oliver's footsteps as he came down, "You can see her, just keep it brief."

"Thank you," He turned to Clank, "I'm sorry, but I gotta go see a friend of mine." _Well, more than a friend._

Clank grinned; at least Sly thought he did. "I understand, see you later Sly."

Sly made his way up the stairs and to Carmelita's room. He knocked lightly before opening the door slowly. "Hey," he said softly.

Carmelita was propped up on the bed. An I.V. drip was hooked up, the liquid had a light green tint to it. She wore a simple white, cloth gown. She looked at her visitor, her eyes open but were heavy. She forced them to stay open. Her voice, though tired and weak, still held that fire Sly loved. "Hello ringtail… did Rykk get… the monster?"

He approached the bed, "He got away, but we're safe here. You've had a rough time though."

"Eh… been through worse. So… what is happening?"

"I'll explain when you're better; besides, not exactly sure myself." Sly stood over her and gently stroked the top of her head. He saw that she was starting to fall asleep. "Hey, love you." He didn't care for anyone like he did her. He couldn't help but show care, compassion, and love through his eyes.

Carmelita grinned; her eyes began to lower as her energy was dropping. "Love you to… ringtail."

"Now get some rest. I need you to get angry at me again." The thief chuckled.

"Don't worry… I still am." She replied with a lightly, playful tone.

"I'll be back soon ok?"

She nodded and her eyes closed.

Sly quietly left the room. _Except for being very tired, she seems ok._

Oliver was waiting outside the room. "You have a good chat?"

Sly nodded, "Yeah, she's really tired."

"I put her on some medicines that will help her heart. In turn, it'll make her exhausted. They should finish running their course by tomorrow morning. So you gonna stick around tonight?"

"Yep, it would be nice to have some fun. Level out the seriousness from the past few days."

Oliver smiled, "These nights are always a riot. C'mon, let's go take a look at the list of songs I have."

Sly smirked, "You a singer Oliver?"

He tilted his head from side-to-side, "Occasionally, it depends on the night and my mood."

* * *

Later that evening the Dragon Tavern was bustling with both humans and lombaxes. Oliver was helping his bartender serve drinks and meals. The bar had become more of a restaurant that night. Oliver was apt to throw out those who became intoxicated and belligerent.

Around eight, the karaoke time started. Music filled the tavern as did the voices of man and lombax. Some better performers than others. If someone was good, the tavern would go quiet and listen.

Everyone was having a great time socializing. Sly and Ratchet became good friends and their friends became friends with one another.

Clank was also enjoying himself. He loved getting to know Sly, his gang, and Leo and Atlas.

Around the time karaoke started, Rykk entered the scene. He sat down with his group and Leo said, "Well, well, look who's here."

"Yeah, yeah, haven't had a good time in a while."

Oliver approached their table with a drink. "Here's your usual Rykk."

"Thanks," The glass was filled with a gold/red liquid and had a few ice cubes in it.

"What is it?" Ratchet asked.

"Hunter's Blood," Rykk answered, "Want a taste?" He said and offered with the slightest grin.

"Uh, sure," Ratchet responded and took the strange-looking drink. He took a small sip. His lips tingled from the drink. It wasn't unpleasant though, just unusual. That tingling sensation spread to his tongue and then throughout the lombax's mouth. Despite the drink's bright colors, it had a very dark, almost numbing, yet sweet taste to it. Like honey mixed with the blackest ink. Ratchet swallowed the potent drink and felt the tingling sensation travel into his belly. Once there, he felt like a fire had been lit inside him. The drink caused his fur to stand on end, the bushy tip of his tail looked like a pom-pom. His ears practically stood straight up and his eyes were wide. He coughed and gagged, much to Rykk's amusement.

"Like fire ain't it?" Rykk said before taking a large gulp of the concoction. "Most can't handle it. It's not the alcohol that makes it so; Oliver has a special recipe. Think I'm the only one who gets it."

Ratchet had recovered from the coughing fit, "Gee, I wonder why?" His mouth, throat, and stomach still tingled.

Clank couldn't help but laugh at his friend's reaction, "Oh my Ratchet! That was great!"

Bones simply chuckled, a chuckle that meant he knew what Ratchet's reaction was going to be.

"Yea, Oi could'a told ya how et whould treat ya." Atlas said smiling.

"Why didn't you?" Ratchet said, though he knew the answer.

"Ten Oi whould've miss out on seeing ya fluff up loike a furball!" Atlas laughed. He was joined in by the rest of the table.

Ratchet growled, though he knew he would've done the same.

Once he stopped laughing, Bentley said, "So, anyone going to sing tonight?"

"Was thinking about it…" Talwyn said.

"Maybe…" Ratchet responded.

Sly simply shook his head no.

Murray responded, "I ain't a singer. What about you Bentley?"

"I'm not much of one either, so no." The turtle said.

"Hey Atlas," Leo started, "Why don't you sing one of your old Irish tunes?"

"Oi was tinkin about et," he thought for a second before getting up. He walked over to the karaoke machine and its operator. He filled out the form with the needed info before returning to his seat.

"So… what did ya pick?" Leo asked.

Atlas said, "_Te Risin of De Moon (The Rising of The Moon)_, et's one of me favorites among de auld songs. Oi should be up soon."

"That's a good one," Leo said.

"Think I'll sing a number…" All those at the table were more than a little surprised when Rykk said that.

Chief among them was Leo, "You? You're going to sing?"

"I know which song to. One from my home, before all this happened, when I was a kid." Rykk said as he finished his drink.

"Ya haven't sung in a long time Roikk,"

"I know," with that Rykk got up and submitted his song.

"Well this'll be a treat." Leo said.

"He's good?" Talwyn asked.

"Oh e' as a real talent for et." Atlas answered.

"Well I cannot wait." Clank said.

As Rykk sat back down, Atlas was called to the stage. He stood in front of the microphone and waited for the music to start. A few seconds passed before the Celtic music began. It echoed from the speakers and the tavern went quiet. The drums and strings harkened back to the highlands. Then the bagpipes brought the song together. Atlas' voice was great and matched the songs rousing, yet haunting tune:

"_"Oh! then tell me, Shawn O'Ferrall, Tell me why you hurry so?"  
"Hush ma bouchal_ (boy in the Irish language)_, hush and listen", And his cheeks were all a-glow.  
"I bear orders from the captain, Get you ready quick and soon,  
For the pikes must be together by the risin' of the moon"._

_By the risin' of the moon, by the risin' of the moon,  
For the pikes must be together by the risin' of the moon._

_"Oh! then tell me, Shawn O'Ferrall, Where the gatherin' is to be?"  
"In the ould spot by the river, Right well known to you and me.  
One word more—for signal token Whistle up the marchin' tune,  
Wit your pike upon your shoulder, By the risin' of the moon"._

_By the risin' of the moon, by the risin' of the moon,  
Wit your pike upon your shoulder, by the risin' of the moon._

_Out from many a mudwall cabin Eyes were watching thro' te night,  
Many a manly chest was throbbing For the blessed warning light.  
Murmurs passed along the valleys Like the banshee's lonely croon,  
And a tousand blades were flashin at the risin' of the moon._

_At the risin' of the moon, at the risin' of the moon,  
And a thousand blades were flashing at the risin' of the moon._

_There beside the singing river That dark mass of men was seen,  
Far above the shining weapons Hung their own beloved green.  
"Death to ev'ry foe and traitor! Forward! strike the marchin' tune,  
And hurrah, my boys, for freedom! 'Tis the risin' of the moon"._

_'Tis the risin' of the moon, 'Tis the risin' of the moon,  
And hurrah my boys for freedom! 'Tis the risin' of the moon._

_Well they fought for poor old Oireland, And full bitter was their fate  
Oh! what glorious pride and sorrow Fill the name of Ninety-Eight.  
Yet, thank God, e'en still es beating Hearts in manhood's burning noon,  
Who would follow in their footsteps, At the risin' of the moon!_

_At the rising of the moon, at the risin' of the moon,  
Who would follow in their footsteps, at the risin' of the moon."_

As he sang the chorus, background singers came in. Atlas' voice, combined with the music filled the tavern with the song's haunting tune. The chorus made it sound as if there was a regiment of soldiers in the room, all singing about a past battle.

Ratchet, Talwyn, and Clank had never heard anything like it. They were all moved by the ballad. It made Ratchet remember the fights he had been in.

When he finished, everyone in the room broke out in applause and cheering.

Atlas simply waved and said thanks before sitting back down. "Well, dat was a lot of fun."

"You were great!" Leo applauded.

"That was beautiful; I've never heard anything like it before." Talwyn stated.

"Me neither," Ratchet agreed, "It was amazing."

"I always liked that one," Rykk stated, "You do sing it best."

"Up next, is Rykk! Let's welcome him to the stage!" The karaoke announcer rang out.

Rykk smiled as he stood near the microphone. A lone guitar played before the upbeat pounding of drums began. At the right time, Rykk began. His voice seemed to change, it became higher and smoother:

_I'm changing lanes  
I'm talking on the phone drivin' way to fast  
And the interstate's jammed with  
Gunners like me afraid of coming in last  
But somewhere in the race we run  
We're coming undone_

_And days go by_  
_I can feel 'em flying like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by_  
_It's all we've been given, so you better start livin' right now_  
_'Cause days go by_

_Out on the roof just the other night I watched the world flash by_  
_Headlights, taillights running through a river of neon signs_  
_But somewhere in the rush I felt_  
_We're losing ourselves_

_And days go by_  
_I can feel 'em flying like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by_  
_It's all we've been given_  
_So you better start livin' right now_  
_'Cause days go by_

_We think about tomorrow then it slips away. Oh yes it does._  
_We talk about forever but we've only got today_

_And the days go by_  
_I can feel 'em flying like a hand out the window_  
_As the cars go by_

_It's all we've been given_  
_So you better start livin'_  
_You better start livin'_  
_Better start livin' right now_

_Cause days go by_  
_I can feel like 'em flying like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by_

_It's all we've been given_  
_So you better start livin' right now_

_Cause days go by_  
_These days go by_

_Oh, so take 'em by the hand they're yours and mine_  
_Take 'em by the hand_  
_And live your life_  
_Take 'em by the hand_  
_Don't let 'em all fly by_

_Come on, Come on now_  
_Don't you know the days go by!_

"That was Days Go By, by Keith Urban, let's give Rykk a hand!" The announcer exclaimed.

Rykk hurried back to his seat, he ignored the applause he got.

"Wow, that was great as well!" Leo applauded.

"You got quite a voice," Bentley added.

Ratchet patted Rykk on the shoulder, "That was great!"

"That was, I admit, fun." Rykk said; his voice deepened back to its normal tone. He was about to say something when he heard a woman's, piercing scream. He went stiff, "Did you guys hear that?"

Everyone but Sly shook their head no. Sly was also stiff, "Yeah."

At that, both Sly and Rykk jumped up and ran outside. The rest of the group followed. A second later there was another scream. This time, without the sounds of the tavern, everyone heard it. It came from one of the smaller buildings. Rykk's skin turned sable, his eyes started to glow, and his clothes turned back into the black jacket and pants. His transformation to his Aggression Form happened instantly and he shot himself towards the building. He didn't stop; he disappeared into the building's wall.

The rest of the group ran and entered the building a short time later.

The building was used for storage and was a bit smaller than a house.

Sly was the first one in and the sight inside made him hurl. There were two mangled, bloody, and cut up bodies; one female human and the other a male lombax. Blood was everywhere, their faces frozen in terror. A woman was sitting on the floor; she was hysterical and the source of the screams.

Rykk just looked around. His pupils were glowing yellow. "These bodies are a few hours old. They were put here, the killer wanted them found."

Just as Sly started retching, the rest of the group came in.

Talwyn also upchucked.

The rest came close to losing it.

When Talwyn was done, she escorted the hysterical woman outside. She then returned to the disturbing scene.

Rykk then started to wander deeper into the structure.

Leo asked, "Where you going Rykk?"

"Found a blood trail…" he said as he followed it. "I figured," he said a second later. Ratchet, Leo, and Atlas followed him. Rykk was staring at a dark wall.

"It's too dark," Ratchet said.

"Leo, some light please?" Rykk asked.

Leo held his hand out and Ratchet jumped as a ball of shining, purple energy came out of Leo's hand.

_This day just keeps getting better and better._ Ratchet thought sarcastically.

The light from the plasma ball revealed a blood drawing on the wall.

It was Calamity's symbol.

_This is horrible,_ Ratchet thought, _this Calamity is going to die. He's going to go slowly to, like these victims did, like we were going to. It's what he deserves._

"That monster…" Talwyn said before she place a hand over her mouth and looked away.

Sly joined Ratchet, Rykk, and Leo in looking at the symbol. "What does this symbol mean?"

"It simply means Calamity, like this…" Rykk pointed to his chest. The triangular symbol did glow a bright, deep purple against his sable chest. "…means Rykk." Rykk looked around, his pupils glowing yellow. "Calamity's long gone by now. That slippery, murdering psychopath is gone!" Rykk yelled in great frustration. At the same time, there was a flash of black and purple energy from his body. He had to step outside, it took him a minute to calm down.

"So what are we gonna do about the bodies?" Sly asked.

"We'll have Bones scan the bodies and ID them." Leo ordered. "We'll notify their families. Once Bones is done, he'll contact the necessary people. You guys go to bed. We'll be done here soon and set up watch shifts."

"How did you create that ball of energy?" Ratchet asked Leo.

Leo sighed, "Simply put, I'm a Dragon. A super-solider, that can create and manipulate plasma and lightning; I can tell you more later. And tomorrow we'll get you guys armed and moving."

At that, the group left.

* * *

As they did, they passed Bones and Clank entering the scene. "Clank," Bones said, "Let's get to work."

"This is awful, who would do something like this?" Clank asked both Bones and Leo. At that time only Leo and the two A.I.s were in the room.

Bones shot a blue line and began scanning the bodies, "It was Calamity." Bones finished scanning and looked at Leo, "Thank you Leo; you may go back to the inn. When finished, I will alert the proper authorities."

Leo nodded and left the structure.

"This is typical of Calamity's MO; messy, stab wounds meant to inflict as much pain as possible without killing, that means these poor souls were alive when he cut them up." Bones hovered over to the torso of the human female, "Look, some of the cuts are different, less precise and jagged. That indicates that they were taken and attacked by one of his puppets. Now, I want you to scan the bodies and then get a DNA sample from the lombax. Find out who he is, I'll give you a copy of my records. I'll find out about the human."

Clank then did his own scan; a glowing green line ran across the grisly scene. Finished, he hovered down to the severed arm of the lombax. He extended a robotic arm and got a hair sample. He took it and put it into a slot on the side of his device. He activated his internal scanner and felt a rush of information flood his mind.

Clank jumped a little as a voice echoed in his mind. "_Hey, it's Bones, sorry if I scared you, forgot to teach you about our "Instrumental Telepathy" if you will. You can use it to communicate through machines; I'll teach you more later. Anyways, I'm about to upload my civil records to you."_

"_Uh, thanks, is there anything else I need to learn?"_

"_Probably, for now let's just focus on this. The upload will feel, odd. You might want to brace yourself."_

"_Um, ok… ack!" The thousands, no millions of faces, names, and identities flashed through Clank's mind at dizzying speed. He saw each and every one in the space of ten seconds. The amount of data felt like it was going to drive him crazy. Once it ceased, he felt such relief._

_That is until the DNA scanner dumped its data into his mind. Using that data, he began to cross-check the new database of info._ His holographic eyes were closed and his face showed great tension and focus. "…Randall Arbelos, age 24, single, dead father, alive mother, worked in a Valkyrie processing center, has a roommate, and a hurt shoulder."

"The woman is Harriet Adler, age 27, married, no kids, both parents dead, and worked as a secretary." Bones stated.

"What next?" Clank asked, though he was pretty sure what the answer was.

"We notify the mortician, the Law Men, and the victims' families." Bones said grimly, "Don't worry about the last one; I won't put you through that. I've done it too many times to count. I'll give you the mortician's contact information and the Law Men. Notify them."

Clank asked, "The Law Men?"

"They are physically enhanced law enforcement. Contact them," Bones uploaded the contact info to Clank.

* * *

So, the gang has had an interesting/fun/disturbing night.

Had fun with this chapter (most of it, the ending was a bit dark but then again, the story will be as well.) and hope you did reading it.

Stay tuned for the next one!


	7. Chapter 7, Terminal Velocity Part 1

Here's another, Ratchet has a nightmare, or is it something more?

Had some fun with this one, will start part 2 soon.

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated.

Thanks again to Evil Ratchet 96 for the reviews, btw started Lost In The Ages, interesting concept, I like it. Thanks also to Trekker 77 for the review!

* * *

Chapter 7, Terminal Velocity part 1,

* * *

Ratchet was sleeping, or trying to. He was having a dream, not a good one.

_He was walking through a forest. The sun was starting to set but it seemed like the color was drained from the land. The trees were immense and seemed to not end. He couldn't hear any wildlife and there was a mist on the ground. He heard a crow call but couldn't tell where it came from. He continued walking but was a bit spooked._

_He came across a path and looked down it. He then looked down the other way and saw a silhouetted figure down the road. It was maybe fifty yards down the road; a white light shown from behind it. As such Ratchet couldn't make out any details but could see that; it was robbed, looked to be a lombax, had a staff, and its ears were about half the size of normal lombax's but their shape denoted the figure as a lombax. It also had two curved horns on the top of its head between its ears._

"_Who are you?" Ratchet asked._

"_I was about to ask you the same question." A smooth, sophisticated, female voice said._

"_My name is Ratchet, you?"_

"_I'm someone who has an interest in you… You seem charming."_

"_What is going on here?" Ratchet asked as he was scared and confused._

"_You have asked that question many times throughout your life haven't you? especially when you were at a… Great Clock?"_

"_WHO ARE YOU?!" Ratchet shouted now more than a little petrified._

_A dark, malevolent laugh rang out from the figure. It echoed through the shadowy forest. The laugh was smooth and foreboding, like an approaching storm in the middle of the night._

_The figure stopped laughing, "I am Ebony. Now, listen well, Ratchet!" The figure's voice became even more dark and foreboding. As she spoke, black and white flames appeared around the figure. She slowly raised her staff in the air. "You've had a great time with friends, both new and old. But… soon there will be great mourning… and death!" The figure's voice rose in volume and intensity and peaked as she finished. The colorless flames also reached a climax in intensity and exploded with vigor from the figure._

_Ratchet jumped at the words and explosion of flame. Dread filled him and his face showed it._

_The figure laughed insidiously before vanishing in a pillar of colorless flame._

Ratchet sat up in his bed, he was breathing hard, sweating, and shaking. "Holy crap!" he thought and said aloud.

He forgot that Sly was also in the room and he jumped up in response; "The heck?!" Sly exclaimed.

Ratchet sighed, "Sorry about that. Stupid nightmare," He said as he rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

Sly groaned as the clock was on the nightstand next to his bed. He rolled over, "It's 1:30, what kind of nightmare?"

"I can't remember," Ratchet lied and went to the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face and looked in the mirror. He looked at the spots Calamity had stabbed him, his shoulder and chest. Both spots had scarred over and, due to the Valkyrie; the fur was starting to grow back. However, it was growing back a bright white color. He looked down at the scars, _seems like the scars will still be noticeable,_ Ratchet thought morosely.

He looked back up and saw a figure behind him; the only thing he could make out was that it had two, curved horns. It nearly made his heart stop and he spun around. There was nothing there but he heard a too-familiar laugh echo lowly throughout the room. Ratchet was creeped and started sweating again. His tail was twitching uncontrollably and his breathing was also erratic. _Calamity is terrible enough but now what is this?_

Ratchet left the bathroom and was in and out of sleep the rest of the night.

* * *

Sly awoke, it was a little before nine. He saw Ratchet turning and tossing in his bed. _Poor guy, another nightmare; wonder why he lied to me last night? Must've been a personal nightmare,_ Sly could tell when someone was lying to him, even when he was half asleep.

He got ready as quietly as he could, grabbed his staff, and left the room. He made his way to Carmelita's room and knocked lightly.

"Come in," was her reply.

He walked in and found Oliver tending to Carmelita. The old lombax greeted, "Hello Sly, just gettin Carmelita ready for the trip to Velocity."

_Thought we were going to New Elko,_ "Velocity?" Sly asked.

Oliver nodded, "Yeah, there's been a change of plans. The guys will explain why."

"How long will it take to get there?" Sly asked.

Oliver thought, "Depends on the mode of travel; foot, it'll take three days or so, horse and cart, a day and a half, an a 'course the fastest is by Atmo, that takes a couple hours."

"What's an, "Atmo"?" Carmelita asked.

"Short for Atmospheric Platform, it's a platform that uses balloons and thrusters. Unfortunately the next one won't come around here for another week. Think ya'll be taking a cart." Oliver said as he disconnected the I.V.

"Need any help?" Sly offered.

Oliver shook his head, "Nah, she's set to go. Though, might want to let her get dressed."

Carmelita stood up; she still wore the white gown. "Thanks Oliver, for everything."

Oliver grinned, "No problem, when ya'll are ready come downstairs. I'll get breakfast going." With that, he left.

"Feeling better?" Sly asked as he approached her.

Carmelita smiled, "Yes, Oliver did a good job." She embraced him, "When that rock hit me, I thought I was going to die. I realized I just wanted one thing." Sly felt something drip onto his shoulder. "I wanted to see your face again, ringtail."

Sly was deeply moved, his body was wracked with emotion. "Carmelita, I was so scared of losing you…" he felt his eyes getting wet as well.

They embraced in silence for a few seconds; just feeling the warmth between each other, the emotions, the love, and the care.

They let go and the two composed themselves. "I'll get dressed and meet you downstairs." Carmelita said not unkindly.

Sly smiled, "Sure thing, love you."

"Love you to Sly," Carmelita smiled as Sly left.

Sly made his way down to the bar and found Rykk, Leo, Atlas, Bones, Clank, Talwyn, Bentley, and Murray. They had joined two tables together and were currently having breakfast. "Morning Sly," Bentley greeted.

"Morning Bentley, what's going on?" Sly asked as he took an empty seat.

"We were just discussing what to do." Murray answered.

"Um, before we go any further," Rykk stated, "Could someone go get Ratchet and Carmelita? They need to be involved in this conversation."

"I'll go get them," Talwyn replied and got up. As she was about to go upstairs Carmelita passed her. "Hey, you're up. Everyone's waiting,"

"Thank you, I'm Carmelita."

Talwyn grinned, "I know, met Sly, and was bunking with you, I'm Talwyn; nice to meet you."

Carmelita blushed slightly, "Sorry I didn't recognize you."

Talwyn waved her hand nonchalantly, "Nah, it's ok; you were pretty out of it. See you later."

"Bye,"

* * *

Talwyn then made her way through the tavern's halls to Ratchet's room. She knocked but there wasn't an answer, "Ratchet, you awake?"

Sounds of moaning and quick movements she heard through the door, "Uh… yeah, just getting dressed!"

_Overslept, heh, will that lombax get any time management skills? _Talwyn shook her head. "Well hurray; there won't be any breakfast left!"

Ratchet just finished putting his boots on and quickly opened the door. He literally had just fallen back to sleep less than ten minutes before she came knocking. He had maybe gotten three or four hours that night, maybe. Man did he show it to; his fur was sticking up in patches, his eyes were red, there were dark circles under them, and he was a bit out of breath. "Sorry about that," he said as they began to walk to the bar.

Talwyn asked, "Rough night?"

Ratchet nodded, "Yeah."

"Why was it rough?"

Ratchet didn't want to tell her of his wild dream. _"Soon there will be great mourning… and death!"_ "Freaking Hunter's Blood tore my stomach up." _Maybe that's really the source of my dream? Then what about the bathroom?_

Talwyn grimaced, "Ugh, don't need to know more."

That ended their conversation and they soon arrived at the bar.

Ratchet sat in an empty seat and was promptly given a plate of food.

As he began to eat Rykk said, "Now that we are all here we can continue. Here's the plan so far, if you have any ideas or objections please state them. We make our way to Velocity using a transport wagon we bought." A transport wagon was able to carry up to fifteen people and was drawn by two horses. The horses were enhanced with Valkyrie so they were much stronger.

"Thought you said we were going to New Elko? Thought it was closer?" Bentley asked.

"We were, but Bones informed us this morning that the political situation there isn't good." Leo answered.

"Yea, dat place 'as a lot of problems roight now," Atlas added.

"Once there, Leo, Atlas, and Bones will take you guys to get… enhanced, that is if you still want to take on Calamity?"

"By enhanced you mean...?" Sly asked.

"That will have to be explained there." Bones stated. "There's not enough time to go into that now."

"Wait… you said Leo, Atlas, and Bones, what about you Rykk?" Talwyn asked.

Rykk looked down, "Things are complicated between me and the citizens of Velocity. Best I don't enter it."

Ratchet wanted to protest but quickly realized the futility of the effort. He just took another bite of his meal.

Leo continued, "Until then the trip could be very dangerous. Being on the Plain overnight is not something to be taken lightly. That Prowler that was hunting you guys Sly is one of the worst things on the Plain. Hopefully we don't run into other predators. Then of course there's Calamity, heaven help us if we run into him." He took a sip of his coffee. "To help with any potential issues that may arise, I have some weapons that could help. Made a gun run last night; those that are finished, come with me." With that Leo and most everyone left; Ratchet, Carmelita, and Atlas were the left. Atlas had already eaten but waited for the two to finish.

"You up for tis miss?" Atlas asked Carmelita.

"Yes, I am." Carmelita said as she finished. "You have a nice rest Atlas?"

Atlas nodded, "Et was noice as far as me nights go. But Oi'm guessin dat Ratchet ad a rough noight."

Ratchet was eating quickly; he wanted to get some weapons, so he didn't hear Atlas right off. "Huh? Oh, yeah that drink I had of Hunters Blood I think was causing me trouble."

Atlas shrugged, "Eh, et effects everyone differently."

Ratchet finished a minute later and Atlas led them outside.

* * *

Leo led everyone to dozens of, wooden crates. "Let's open them,"

Rykk watched while helping Oliver load supplies onto the transport.

The group proceeded to lift the crates' lids and found the guns. They were unlike any Sly had seen before. There were four types of firearms; one, a pistol, two, a rifle, three, a lever-action shotgun, and a break-action, combination shotgun/rifle. The pistol was a semi-automatic revolver with its barrel lined up with the bottom of the cylinder (Like a Mateba Autorevolver); it also had a dark wooden stock and lightly-glowing, orange, horizontal lines on its cylinder's sides. The rifle was a semi-automatic, revolving rifle. Like the pistol, it had lightly-glowing, orang lines on its cylinder's sides. The two revolvers used cylinder-shaped magazines. Each mag had glowing orange circles arranged in a circular pattern, the circles were rounds. The lever-action shotgun had its stock and barrel sawed off. Both its stock and barrel-grip were made of dark wood. The last type was also the most interesting. It looked like a double-barrel; side-by-side shotgun except it had a third, smaller barrel underneath and in-between the two.

Sly picked up a rifle and examined it. For some reason he felt an attraction to the gun. _Not sure why but this one seems to fit me._ He held it against his shoulder and looked down its sights.

Talwyn grabbed two of the pistols and weighed them in her hands. The weight of the guns felt odd but she figured she could get used to them.

Bentley too grabbed a pistol but didn't examine it for long. He had no intention of actually using it.

Murray grabbed the lever-action shotgun. It was the biggest gun but still felt small to him. "Do you guys have anything bigger?" The big hippo asked.

Leo smiled, "Figured you'd ask that. So I got this." With that he opened a big crate and motioned for Murray to take a look.

Murray walked over and was delighted. Inside was a Gatling-gun with a box magazine. "Now this is more my style!"

Ratchet and Carmelita came out a minute later.

"Pick one," Leo said.

Carmelita picked one of the pistols as her firearm.

Ratchet looked through the various firearms. The one that got his attention was the break-action, combination shotgun/rifle. He picked one up and held it in a firing position. It was a bit heavy but he was used to big and ungainly weapons. "What do these fire?" He asked.

"A refoined and processed type 'a Valkyrie called Vector." Atlas answered, "Watch." Using his Utility, Atlas summoned a pistol, "Foirin!" He shouted and pulled the trigger.

A loud electronic-explosion was heard and a glowing orange bolt left the barrel. It hit an old, dead tree. It left a glowing, burning hole/crater in the dried bark.

"Eh Leo, why don't ya shew dem some of ya Provocator trainin?" Atlas suggested.

Leo grabbed a lever-action shotgun. He made sure it was loaded and spin-cocked it. "Alright," He looked around and found three trees that were about fifty yards apart. Together they formed the corners of a triangle. He then stood in the middle of the triangle; one of the trees to his back, the other two to his front left and right. He rested the gun's barrel against his right shoulder.

"Set!" Atlas shouted.

Within a second Leo, holding the gun in one hand; shot the tree to his right, spin-cocked it parallel to the ground, held the gun across his body, shot the tree to his left, he spin-cocked it again and rested the gun's barrel on his shoulder with the barrel facing behind him, and he fired and hit the tree behind him. Each shot fired a dozen Vector pellets and left multiple holes in the trees. He then started back to the group. As he did, he spin-cocked it again and ended the movement by resting the gun on his shoulder.

Everyone was amazed at his speed and skill with the firearm. "That… was… AWESOME!" Ratchet exclaimed.

Leo grinned, "Wouldn't try it though, took me bit to learn that."

"Hey guys; also got you these." Rykk said and set another crate on the ground before opening it. "Got each of ya a Utility Belt; those that picked a rifle get one of these." He handed Sly and Ratchet each a belt that had a rectangular tile on it in addition to the regular square ones. "The rifles and shotguns require a bigger Utility to hold them." Rykk explained.

Everyone put their belts on. "How do they work?" Carmelita asked.

"Just think about and visualize your gun in your hand and the Utility will put it there. Conversely just think about your weapon being in your Utility, and it'll be so." Leo responded.

Ratchet strapped his Utility onto his thin waist. _K; let's see… um_ Ratchet pictured the gun then his Utility. There was a brief flash of green on his gloved hands and the gun was gone. _Well that was cool, now let's get it out._ He thought of the gun being in his grasp. A flash of green on his hands and the gun reappeared. Ratchet chuckled; _this can be a lot of fun._

"Now that everyone has eaten and has a weapon, we need to get moving." Rykk said.

* * *

Well, well, what's going on with Ratchet? And what do you think of the guns?

Yes I based this... Ebony off of a certain Disney Villain that also happens to be one of my favorite villains of all. If you don't know who, well they just made a movie based on her.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned,


	8. Chapter 8, Terminal Velocity Part 2

Going on eight! This was an interesting chapter to write and you'll see why. I hope I balanced the light with the dark appropriately.

Thanks again to evil Ratchet96 and Trekker77 for the reviews, they are greatly appreciated and are the main motivation to keep this story going.

Anyways, enjoy,

* * *

Chapter 8, Terminal Velocity Part 2,

* * *

Everyone piled into the large, horse-drawn transport. Leo was the one holding the horses' reigns and Rykk was sitting with him. The transport was about as big as a van. The horses were keeping good pace, each of the two was a Valkyrie-enhance horse. You could tell by the light green line down their sides.

At the start of the ride Atlas showed everyone how to load, unload, and fire their weapons. It took them a short time to get it.

Half a day into the ride and; Ratchet was catching some Zs, every now and then Rykk would appear through the transport's wall to check on everyone, Bones and Clank were playing a game of chess, in their minds, Talwyn was chatting with Sly and Carmelita, and Bentley, Atlas, and Murray were also chatting.

"So Atlas, what's your story?" Bentley asked.

"Well, Oi'm a Law Man," Atlas started.

"What's that?" Murray asked and interrupted.

"A koind of soldier; means dat Oi went trough a hard trainin and was given a drug called Hammer. Et made me stronger and faster. Oi learned how to handle a McVoy."

"McVoy?" Bentley asked.

"Em, et's de pistol you're carryin."

"Ah, so you catch criminals I'm guessing?"

Atlas nodded. "Yeah, when Oi was a lad, me moter was killed by de rottin Attero. Me fater died shortly after from de Black Blood Scourge."

"I'm sorry; me, Murray, and Sly are orphans to. What is the Attero and Black Blood Scourge exactly?" Bentley asked.

"De Attero es a gang of bloodtirsty hooligans and de Black Blood Scourge es a terrible disease," there was venom laced in Atlas' voice whenever he talked about the Attero gang. "Oi lived on de streets of New Elko for a year before Oi joined de Law Men. Et was durin me trainin dat Oi met Rykk, Leo, and teir friends."

There was a shout from Leo, "Hunter at our ten o'clock!"

The yell puzzled Sly, "What's a hunter?"

"Basically, et's a giant wolf." Atlas answered. "Just hold on, this could be bit wild."

Rykk appeared through the wall, "Sly you a good shot with a gun that fires bullets?"

"When I had to be, never had to use one a lot though," Sly responded.

"Good enough," With that Rykk grabbed the thief and they both vanished through the ceiling. Sly didn't have time to comprehend what had just happened. "Over there," Rykk pointed.

Sly's gaze followed the gesture and his eyes widened. Rykk pointed to a giant, grey, wolf-like creature with a dark blue line down its back. It was in size like two, adult elephants. It was running perpendicular to the road and would soon cross paths with the wagon.

"If that thing starts to come towards us, I need you to hit that thing in the neck."

"But at this range and the size of the thing; isn't this rifle not powerful enough?"

"Don't underestimate Vector rounds, use these." Rykk handed Sly a blue-glowing Vector mag for his rifle. "Alacrity rounds, remember, aim for the neck."

Sly loaded the rifle with the rounds and held up the gun.

The Hunter started to sniff the air and Sly realized it was downwind of them. It turned and saw the wagon. It then began to charge. _Aw crap,_ he thought as he looked down the rifle's sights. The wagon's motion and bouncing made it difficult for the raccoon to aim.

A loud electronic-explosion rang out and a blue flash left the gun's muzzle. The Alacrity round struck the giant wolf creature in the eye. A deafening howl/roar rang out as blood came pouring from the beast.

"Not bad, didn't hit the target but not a bad second option. I'll finish it." Rykk said before entering his aggression form and flying towards the ticked-off Hunter. He drew his two Tonfa-style blades in midair. As he neared it, he fired two lines of his black-and-purple energy at the Hunter's front legs. They hit and made it growl. It tried biting him but Rykk dodged it. He dove underneath its neck and slashed at it. His blades cut but not deep enough.

The Hunter had stopped running (it was about thirty yards away from the wagon) and was now intent on getting its attacker.

Rykk flew onto the back of its neck. The thing was thrashing about in a wild frenzy. Its footfalls made the ground shake and tremble; they sounded like thunder.

Rykk summoned a gun like the one Ratchet had picked; the break-action. He held it in one hand and fired it into the back of the Hunter's neck.

The giant wolf yelped and fell sideways onto the crimson ground.

Rykk simply jumped off and flew back to the wagon. "Hate those things to." He muttered.

"Showoff," Leo muttered in response.

Rykk lightly chuckled, "Like you could've taken that thing."

Leo scoffed, "You forget Rykk, I'm a Dragon, could so have taken that thing down with a lightning bolt."

Sly asked, "How long until we reach Velocity? Not a big fan of the Plain."

"That's normal, many aren't." Leo responded, "I'd say we should be in by no later than noon tomorrow. Best take him back in Rykk. Anyways, we'll be running these horses all night."

"They can go that long?" Sly asked.

Leo nodded, "Yep, remember these horses are stronger than the average horse. They've been known to run for up to three days without end. They also aren't cheap either, so usually they are rented. See you later,"

With that Rykk grabbed Sly and they went through the wagon's wall.

It was late that night and Ratchet couldn't sleep. It wasn't due to any nightmare; it was probably due to him sleeping all day.

Sly too couldn't sleep. He just felt jittery and eager after seeing the Hunter. The two of them sat in the back of the transport, away from everyone else, and were chatting. It wasn't long until Rykk came by and joined in their conversation. He never seemed to sleep a lot.

Ratchet was a bit antsy and was rummaging through some of the supplies as they spoke.

"Ratchet, what are you doing?" Sly asked.

"Just can't settle down, I do this when I'm antsy." He responded, his legs dangled on the back of the chair. Sounds of things being moved aside and examined came from the storage. He soon came upon a bottle of the soda Prime. It was a good-sized bottle to, equivalent to two-and-a-half liters.

"Oh yeah, Oliver put that in there. He said it was for anyone that wanted it." Rykk said as Ratchet sat back down in his seat.

"Well I'm thirsty anyway," Ratchet stated before opening the bottle and taking a big swallow.

"So you're a hero back where you come from eh Ratchet?" Sly asked.

Ratchet downed another gulp of the soda before responding, "Yeah, I was also the last lombax in the galaxy."

"That's rough," Rykk responded.

Ratchet nodded before burping loudly, though he tried to keep it quiet.

Rykk and Sly chuckled. Rykk then said, "Prime does that to ya."

Ratchet chuckled, "Guess so, I've done better." He said with more than a bit of child-like pride, "How about you Sly?"

Sly waved his head side-to-side. "Don't really know; always seemed immature to me."

Ratchet nodded and grinned like a little kid, "It is, but it's fun to, go ahead. Let's see what you can do thief." He offered the bottle to Sly.

"I can see where this is going." Rykk said and created a wall of black energy. "You guys can now make as much noise as you want."

Sly took the bottle and reluctantly drank down a few swallows. He waited a bit before, "UUUUURRRRRPPPPPP!"

Ratchet scoffed, "Not bad for a rookie. Let me show ya how it's done."

Sly's competitive nature kicked in at those words.

Ratchet and Sly then began a belching contest. Rykk just sat back and watched as they laughed and drank about half of the bottle down.

When it was all said and down, there was no winner, they had too much fun and didn't care.

Once they settled down, their stomachs sloshing with Prime, Ratchet looked at Rykk. He, for the most part had remained silent during the contest. Oh, every now and then he'd chuckle or laugh; he even made a comment once or twice.

Ratchet grabbed the bottle, "Hey Rykk, what can you do?"

Rykk grinned, "Trust me; it'd be better if I didn't."

Ratchet grinned, he was now curious. "Why?"

"Because it just is," Rykk said with a slight irritation.

"C'mon now, you've got me curious." Ratchet said in a slightly whining tone.

Rykk rolled his eyes and sighed, "Fine, Sly, you might want to move." Sly was sitting in front of Rykk.

Sly moved and sat next to Ratchet. His curiosity was also peaked but was a bit more cautious when dealing with Rykk.

Rykk grabbed the bottle and proceeded to chug it.

Sly and Ratchet watched in amazement as the remaining liter of Prime disappeared down Rykk's throat. Loud gulping noises echoed.

It took him about a minute to down it and then he set the empty bottle down.

When Rykk unleashed his belch, not only did it last for a near minute and was near deafening, black and purple energy shot from his mouth and ignited the chair opposite him. The chair began to burn under black and purple flames. When Rykk finished he closed his hands into a fist and the flames vanished. "Now you see why." Rykk answered with a hint of irritation. "You guys will owe me for that chair."

Ratchet and Sly were both still for a few seconds. "Uh," Ratchet started, "Yeah, whenever we can. By the way, what is your energy called?"

"I call it Alter, since it can alter the density of objects and can move them." Rykk stood up, "I suggest you two try to get some sleep now. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"Seems to be the trend," Sly commented before trying to get in a comfortable position.

Rykk grinned slightly, "Had fun." With that he dissipated the energy wall and returned to the coach seat.

Sly managed to doze off quickly.

Ratchet eventually did about an hour later. His mind just wanted to think about anything and everything.

It was around noon and they were about a mile from the Velocity's border when Leo stopped the horses. Everyone got off the wagon and stretched a bit. "Well guys, here is where Rykk splits. Get your goodbyes out of the way."

"Hey, it's not like I won't see you guys again, it just won't be until you leave Velocity." Rykk tried to assure them.

They each said goodbye and either hugged Rykk (he hugged back but had an awkward look on his face) or they shook hands.

Ratchet was the last one, "Thanks for saving me and Clank, wish there was some way to pay that back." He said as he offered his hand.

Rykk grinned and shook. He had taken a liking to Ratchet; the two had become good friends. "Don't worry about it, it was…" Rykk froze mid-sentence and his ears perked. His tail stopped wagging as well. "…Everyone get out of here!" Rykk yelled scaring the group.

"What is it?!" Ratchet exclaimed/asked.

Everyone but Rykk jumped as the wagon flew into the air, it was then slammed back down to earth. Luckily it didn't hit anyone. The wheel axels were broken though, and the horses were killed.

Rykk answered/shouted, "Calamity!" He also turned into his aggression form.

There was a loud slam as Calamity landed behind the group. "Hello everyone, miss me?" He asked in a sing-song manner.

"Not really," Rykk responded, "Everyone make a run for Velocity." He ordered. He then held his hands out at an angle from his body. His fingers spread apart and black claws extended from his fingertips. When they all paused Rykk yelled, "Go you idiots!" He then took off his robe, letting it drop to the ground.

Ratchet looked back as Rykk got down on all fours. He roared, baring his fangs, and charged at Calamity, his black claws ready for the fight. He looked like a feral cat, his anger and rage consumed him. The line of fur on his back rippled as he ran.

Everyone in the group wanted to help, not run. They all had their weapons in their Utilities. None of them could fire though; they didn't want to hit Rykk.

Calamity just held his hands behind his back until Rykk got close. Rykk tried to pounce on him but Calamity spun and kicked Rykk in the back. The kick sent him sprawling. He recovered quickly and ran back at Calamity. He swung his claws furiously but it was evident that Calamity was much more in control of himself. He either dodged or hit Rykk's forearms, blocking his claws.

Rykk managed to nick Calamity on his arm, side, back, and face but in turn got hit hard on his face, lower back, stomach, and chest. Rykk's claws, though sharp and intimidating, only cut the air. He wasn't scoring any real hits, too much fury, he wasn't focused. Calamity though, was beating him, literally. It also didn't help that Calamity constantly taunted Rykk about his kills. He would go into detail about killing Randall and Harriet. He would talk about their pleas, their pain, and their blood.

Speaking of blood, it was running from Rykk's nose and mouth. His blood was a dark, almost-black blue. The hits were taking a toll on Rykk, as the fight went on he was getting slower.

Rykk did manage to kick Calamity back and fired an Altar energy beam. Calamity simply blocked it with a chunk of rock. He then fired that rock at Rykk.

Rykk grappled it with Altar and shot it back.

Calamity blew it apart.

Rykk then grappled a chunk of ground and tried to bring it down on Calamity.

Calamity grabbed it with his Ravage and spun it into Rykk.

The move was so fast and Rykk was more than a bit hurting from the beating; the rock hit him dead on. He was unable to phase through it due to it being controlled by Calamity's Ravage. It didn't kill him, but did massive damage.

Calamity pinned Rykk between the rock and ground using Ravage.

Rykk couldn't move and was struggling to get away. Upon impact, Rykk's claws retracted.

Rykk was between Calamity and the gang; they were all trying to figure out what to do. When Rykk was pinned they all went quiet as Calamity approached him. They all summoned their weapons and had them trained at Calamity.

"What are we waiting for? Let's nail him!" Ratchet practically yelled.

"We'll hit Rykk if we do!" Leo yelled.

Sly still had his rifle loaded with Alacrity rounds. He aimed, but the position wasn't good. "Leo," Sly whispered, "If I can get to a better position, I can use the Alacrity rounds."

Leo looked around with only his eyes, "Do it."

Calamity smiled but he didn't notice Sly moving. He was too into the moment. "Now this is a good day. Wow Rykk, you seem a bit off your game today." He said as he knelt down and looked into Rykk's eyes.

Rykk still wanted to fight and his eyes showed it. Calamity then kicked Rykk in his face repeatedly. Blood began to pool on the ground and Rykk's strength was waning.

Calamity sighed as he moved the rock off of Rykk, grabbed him and held him by his hair. Rykk was so dazed and beaten it took him a few seconds to gather his mind. During those seconds, Calamity drew his knife and cut about two-thirds of Rykk's right ear off.

Rykk yelled, it sounded inhuman, like a howl and scream all at once. It made everyone cover their ears. The dark blue blood flowed in generous amounts now.

Calamity held the piece of Rykk's ear, blood dripped from it. He studied it for a second before tossing it away. "There, that's better isn't it? I know you didn't like your ears all that well anyways." He then stomped on the ground and sent a shockwave towards the gang. The wave knocked them all onto their backs, including Sly. Calamity, with his free hand, then raised a wall of rock and stone between the gang and himself. "I need to be alone to work on you Rykk." He then pointed towards the wall and his three puppets flew through it. "They'll need company." Calamity commented tauntingly.

* * *

Ratchet jumped to his feet but was dismayed upon seeing the wall. "We gotta get over! Who knows what that monster is doing!" Ratchet shouted.

"I can get…" Leo was interrupted by Calamity's three puppets appearing through the wall. They charged the gang. Ratchet yelled as he charged one and in turn fired his gun. The blast of Vector pellets knocked the puppet back and made it yell.

The second puppet charged Atlas. He drew his pistol and started firing. His shots hit and made the puppet yell and hold back.

The third puppet went after Bentley but Murray protected his friend and fired up his big Gatling gun. "Come and get this you freaks!"

Everyone was trying to fight off the ghostly puppets. They flew around, yelling, slashing, and in general just harassing the group.

In the middle of the chaos, Sly grabbed Leo. "I need to get on top of that wall!"

Leo nodded and fired his shotgun at one of the floating ghosts. It was knocked back and Leo grabbed Sly by his waist, "Hang on!" With that, Leo shot plasma from his feet and propelled them to the top.

* * *

Rykk mustered some strength and kicked Calamity. Calamity released him and grunted. "Knew you had more fight in you,"

Rykk, bloody, bruised, and hurting managed to fire a beam of Alter. Calamity jumped over the beam and kicked Rykk on the side of his neck.

The blow was severe and made Rykk fall to the ground on all fours. His breathing was labored and fast, his arms were shaking, his tail drooped, and he looked exhausted. "You took… everything from me… my family… my best friend… my ex-girlfriend hates me… my reputation is in tatters… might as well kill me to." Rykk spat.

Calamity approached and he held something in his hand that made Rykk grimace. It was a cat o' nine tails whip. At the end of each of the black leather strands were metal hooks. Each hook was tipped with Ravage energy so they could cut him.

"You took everything from me as well, you monster." Calamity stated with venom and raised the weapon. He quickly brought it down on Rykk's bare back. The cat made multiple, deep cuts on Rykk's side. Rykk struggled not to yell in agony as his skin and muscles were ripped open. The sound of it striking and slashing was sickening.

He ultimately failed not to yell as Calamity proceeded to hit him repeatedly. Dark blue blood began to pool on the ground and Rykk had never before felt such physical torment. A few times the hooks would become lodged in his flesh and Calamity would yank them out, pulling out chunks of muscle, bits of hair, and sinew. When that happened, Calamity would laugh manically.

Rykk was near death when Calamity stopped and knelt down. "Well here we are Rykk; I'm savoring this sweet, sweet moment. And I want you to know; I will kill your new friends. I will burn them, cut them, and rip them, well, you get the ide…"

There was a loud shot as Sly fired his rifle, the Alacrity round hit Calamity in his right shoulder-blade. Upon impact, Calamity shrieked an unearthly sound; it made everyone cover their ears for a second time that day. A shockwave of sound and air knocked Rykk into the wall. The wind then reversed and began spinning towards Calamity. The wind and dust formed a twister around him. That twister spun viciously and then spun away into the Plain.

Leo grabbed Sly and jumped down. They both yelled, "Rykk!"

Rykk was a bloody mess, deep cuts lined his body, his breathing was shallow, and he was quivering as pain and shock racked him.

Leo summoned a syringe of Healer and injected it into Rykk. The serum helped to heal some of the more serious wounds but he was still bleeding plenty.

"That'll keep him alive for now." Leo said. "Get on my back!" Leo ordered Sly.

Sly put his rifle in his utility and his arms around Leo's neck. Leo flew over the rock wall, Rykk in his arms and Sly on his back.

When Leo landed everyone gasped at Rykk's condition.

"Oh my soul…"Talwyn exclaimed.

Ratchet was stunned, his mouth hung open.

Clank too was stunned.

"What in blazes?" Bentley exclaimed.

"Oh no," Carmelita shook her head.

Sly was silent and just hung his head.

Murray too was quiet.

Bones was grim, not particularly stunned, but grim and silent.

"Bones, give him a quick scan!" Leo ordered.

The A.I. floated over quickly and began to scan.

"We need to go, he needs more help. Some of the cuts are pretty deep." Bones stated. "Velocity isn't far."

"Looks like someone sent help, or an army." Bentley stated.

Approaching the group were hundreds of lombax soldiers in motorized karts. The karts held a driver and an armed passenger behind him. There were also some bigger vehicles among the karts that looked like troop transports.

Within a minute the group was surrounded by the army.

"Hey! Hey! We need help! Our friend needs help!" Ratchet yelled.

The gunner on the kart closest to the group ordered, "Everyone put up your arms."

Everyone but Leo did, he still had Rykk in his arms. Rykk was at this time, in and out of consciousness.

The driver of the closest kart stepped out. He was a big lombax, around 6' 3" and thick. His yellow fur with crimson strips was mostly covered by smooth, dark grey armor. He didn't wear any kind of head protection either. "I recognize a few of you," his voice commanding and demanded respect. He nodded in Leo's direction, "Hello Leo."

"Commander, do you have a medical unit with you?"

The Commander crossed his arms. "We do, but why should we help him? last I checked, he is still wanted."

"Calamity did tis, if 'e dies so does de best chance to stop him." Atlas retorted, "Unless ya tink you could take 'em."

The Commander growled, "If he dies, I would be called a hero."

Ratchet, though unsure of why Rykk was wanted, exclaimed in frustration and anger, "He saved all of us from Calamity! If he dies because of you, you'll have to contend with me!"

Leo growled, "Me to, and you know Commander, what I am capable of. So either get him some help or get ready to fight!"

The Commander growled again, "Fine." He put his finger to his wrist, "This is Commander Sigma, bring me the Med Unit."

"Copy that," a voice said from his wrist device.

"If he lives, he's going to be in a cell." The Commander said.

"Good luck with that," Sly commented.

The Commander grinned, "We know what he is and what he can do." He said as a big vehicle pulled up. It was evidently the Med Unit.

Leo took Rykk and set him on a stretcher. Then he and Bones got into the vehicle. "Atlas, make sure everyone is ok and keep an eye them." Leo ordered.

"Alroight, Oi'll keep 'em safe."

Leo then closed the doors and the Med Unit drove off.

"We'll figure out who you guys are back in Velocity." The Commander said as another transport vehicle showed up. "Everyone pile in," he barked.

* * *

An interesting turn of events no?

By the way, just added the belching contest in at the last second. Not exactly sure why, think it's to give a bit of a light moment before plunging in the dark. That and to show the friendship that is developing between the gang.

Also had a interesting time writing the flogging Calamity does to Rykk. Didn't want to give too much grisly detail but not too little either.

Let me know what you think of the chapter and story so far.

Thanks for reading,


	9. Chapter 9, Complications

Alright now things get very interesting,

Having a lot of fun with this story and I do have most of it planned out.

Thanks to all those who are following this story, reviews would be great.

Thanks again to evil Ratchet96 for the reviews and support and Trekker 77 for their review.

Anyways, enjoy

* * *

Chapter 9, Complications,

* * *

Velocity was a good-sized city. There were hundreds of skyscrapers, all of them linked by monorails in the air. The city had a nice atmosphere; though the group didn't have much of a chance to see it. They were quickly escorted to a large, government building.

The next few hours were a flurry of activity. The group, aided by Atlas and Leo, were sent through a series of tests and interrogations by the lombax overseers. Most questions for Sly and his group were about where they had come from, what they were, and what their intentions were.

As expected they were very curious about the Cooper gang. They split them up but treated them well enough, as well as government officials and interrogators go.

Sly found the process boring and tedious. He hated having to sit in a small room just to be asked the same questions by different lombaxes. He felt like a freak, like a monster being poked and prodded. Instinctively his mind went through various scenarios of how to break out.

There was one question Sly knew he had to be careful with answering. It came during an interrogation with an official that introduced himself as the Chief of Defense. He was a thin lombax with white fur and brown stripes. He was dressed in a nice, dress vest and had a good bearing. "So, Sly Cooper is it? I'm Ryan Decagon, the Chief of Defense. Must say we're all a bit surprised to meet you; heard you've had an interesting few days."

Sly had his arms crossed and was leaning back in his chair. "You could say that, yes. Heck a few days ago I had no idea this world even existed."

"And I want to assist you in getting you back to your world. I assume that's what you want right?"

Sly nodded, "Yeah, that's what me and my friends want."

"I can't guarantee that I can get you back soon, but, with the help of our top scientists, I can assure you we can get you home."

"That's good, but why do I get the feeling you want something?"

Decagon shook his head, "I just have a simple question, what is your involvement with the fugitive known as Rykk?"

Sly sighed, "I've said before, I just met him a couple days ago. He saved me and my friends from Calamity. That fact made him a friend and your army almost let him die." Sly paused for a second, "So what has he done?"

Decagon paused and studied Sly. "For one, he's a murderer."

* * *

Ratchet's process was quite different; as he was the first lombax to come from his part of the universe in recent years, many lombaxes wanted to see him.

One of the interviews was notable.

"Hello Ratchet," The lombax greeted as he entered the interrogation room. He had golden yellow fur and brown stripes. "I'm the Chief of Internal Security; I'm here to find out how things are back on Fastoon and to learn who you are."

Ratchet sighed, "Well Tachyon is gone and the Dimensionator is broken. So Polaris is safe from the Cragmites and Drophyds, stupid goldfish." He retorted with distaste. "As for who I am, here's all I have. My father, Kaden, left me on a planet called Veldin in the Solana galaxy, to keep me safe from Tachyon. My friend, Clank, he's one of the robots, went missing. I went looking for him and met another lombax by the name of Alistair Azimuth, know him?"

The CIS nodded, "I knew him, how is he?"

_Images of him shooting Ratchet, killing him, the Clock turning back because of Clank, Clank saved him from the crazed lombax. He triggered the Clock to go back too far causing it to breakdown. He then sacrificed himself to save time._ "He's dead, sacrificed himself to save... a bunch of people, including me." Ratchet didn't want to go into details. "Apparently, he and my father were good friends. Alistair said my father was eventually killed by Tachyon. So I grew up as an orphan and went by the name of Ratchet. I met Clank when I was a teen and we became heroes after stopping a madman. We went on many adventures before coming here, by accident." Ratchet hid his internal turmoil bringing up his past caused.

The expression on the CIS's face took an examining look before softening. He sighed deeply and lowered his gaze, "I meant to go back and get you after confronting Tachyon…"

Ratchet's mind stopped working for a second, "I, I'm sorry what?"

Tears appeared in the older lombax's eyes as he looked up, "I'm Kaden, your father."

Ratchet was utterly stunned, he couldn't think or speak. He just stared for a few seconds as Kaden tried to explain.

"You see, long before Tachyon attacked, we had discovered a two-way portal to this world and Fastoon. We kept its existence ultra-top secret. Even Tachyon had no idea it existed. We set up an equally secret colony here and became allies with the humans. When Tachyon attacked, which I figured out too late, I managed to send you to Veldin." Kaden's eyes became wet again, "Your mother died at Tachyon's hands. I couldn't lose you too. That's why I hid you. Then I went after Tachyon, who was still on Fastoon, and we fought. But the battle turned sour for me. I tried to get a ship so I could get you and flee here, to Agrona. That plan failed as Tachyon cornered me and I was forced to go through the portal. To keep the lombaxes safe, I encrypted the portal containment device using a genetic lock. That lock could only be deactivated by a lombax. I had hoped that you, Alistair, or both, would find the portal."

"So… you wanted to come back?" Ratchet's emotions began to catch up with him and his eyes became teary.

Kaden nodded solemnly, "More than you could imagine. You see, by activating the security blind I also had disabled us from going back that way."

"Well, there's obviously more portals, just gotta find one back." Ratchet said, "I can't believe you're alive!" He exclaimed before jumping up and hugging his father.

Kaden returned the motion and father and son reunited. "All these years, I had feared you'd been killed as well." Kaden stated with both sadness and relief. Kaden then put his hands on Ratchet's shoulders, "Look at you, you're so much bigger than when I last saw you. Course, you were just a kit then. Come on; let's get you out of here."

Kaden and Ratchet then went by the holding cells and started picking up everyone in the group. First he got Bentley and then next was Talwyn.

Kaden unlocked the door and Ratchet went in.

"Ratchet, what's going on?"

Ratchet was beaming, "Talwyn, I want you to meet someone." He held her hand and helped her to her feet. "Talwyn Apogee, this is my father, Kaden Ellipse."

A very brief flash of concern appeared and disappeared on Kaden's face. It was very quickly replaced by a big warm smile. Only Talwyn noticed but she shrugged it off.

Talwyn was amazed, "Mr. Ellipse, I'm so glad to meet you."

"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine and please, call me Kaden. So, are you Ratchet's girlfriend?"

She looked at Ratchet and he smiled.

"Yes,"

Kaden continued to smile, "Well let me get the rest of your friends out of here."

* * *

_Rykk, the one who saved our lives is a murderer? No, there's got to be more to it than that. Look at this guy; he's trying to play you. I've seen his type before, no matter the world, politicians are the same. If Rykk killed someone there had to be a reason, self-defense?_ "Who did he kill?" Sly asked.

Decagon leaned back, "He killed my predecessor."

"What do you think was the cause?"

"Rykk's unstable, he claimed that my predecessor tried to kill him and in the process killed one of his friends."

"Was that true?"

"Even if it was he should've stood trial, not been murdered." Decagon said firmly.

_That's true, so Rykk's a murderer?_ That fact made Sly very uneasy, the one that saved them from being tortured to death killed someone. "So, what's going to happen?"

Decagon raised an eyebrow, "To you and your friends or to Rykk?"

"Both,"

"You guys will be free to go soon. Leo North will help you guys get back or do whatever you want. Rykk, once he is healed, will be held for trial and when found guilty, be killed."

"I know I'm new to this place but tell me one thing," Sly stated, "How do you plan to handle Calamity?"

Decagon looked puzzled by the question. "Why are you asking about him?"

"You know why, he tried to kill us, and I get the feeling he wants to finish the job. As far as I've seen Rykk is the only one powerful enough to stand a chance against him."

"We can handle him; Rykk isn't the only powerful one around."

There was a knock on the door and another lombax walked in. Decagon responded to the presence, "Ah Chief Kaden, you're a bit early."

"The interviews are over,"

Decagon looked more than a bit puzzled, "What's come up?"

"That lombax that was with these guys, he's my son. As of now he and his friends are under my protection."

Sly tilted his head slightly,_ father? So he's not an orphan? Amazing!_

"You can't just…" Decagon started.

"Yes I can," Kaden said sharply and with a bit of intensity. "Come on Sly, let's go."

Sly didn't argue, he got up and left.

Outside the room was Ratchet, he had a big smile on his face. "Hey Sly, you ok?"

_Does he know about Rykk?_ "I'm fine, just hate being held up. So I see you're old man is still around eh? Congrats!"

Ratchet smiled even bigger, "Yeah, Sly Cooper this is my father, Kaden Ellipse."

"Nice to meet you sir," Kaden and Sly shook hands. "Thanks for getting me out of there, that guy was grinding my nerves."

Kaden chuckled. "Call me Kaden, and don't be too upset with him, it's his job to be hard."

Sly turned to Ratchet, "So besides meeting your dad, you've found out your real name eh?" Sly grinned as he spoke.

Kaden added, "We had originally named him Chace, but I think Ratchet suits him better."

"So what's the plan?" Sly asked.

"We get your friends and you guys can crash at my place."

"What about Rykk?" Sly asked.

Kaden sighed.

Ratchet asked, "Dad, why did those soldiers want him dead?"

"Rykk is a complicated matter," Kaden responded, "Let's get your friends, I'll explain at home. It isn't far from here."

An hour later and the gang had reached Kaden's house. House was a bit of an understatement, it was a small mansion.

"So you got this place to yourself Mr. Ellipse?" Bentley asked.

Kaden unlocked the door, "Yeah, never got interested in anyone since Fastoon."

As Ratchet stepped foot into his father's house he saw something out of the corner of his eye. In a dark alleyway, he saw a silhouetted figure with curved horns on its head. He was also able to see two, glowing green/yellow eyes peering at him. The same voice from his dream sounded in his mind. It said in a slow, haunting manner, _IIIIIII kkknnnnoooow, yyouu,_ Ratchet froze for a second before the figure vanished in the shadows. He shivered and felt it run down his spine.

"Ratchet, everything ok?" Murray asked as he was behind Ratchet. He looked in the same direction. He saw nothing but an empty sidewalk and alley.

Ratchet stammered, "Y, yeah I'm fine."

Murray was curious and just a bit concerned but decided not to press the issue. "Okay,"

"So you're a Chief huh, how high a position is that?" Bentley asked.

"Kaden es one of te highest rankin' lombaxes en Velocity." Atlas then added, "Oi just wish Leo 'ad let me stay wit him at de Lombax Holdin' Facility. Roikk's a friend ta me to."

"He said he wanted you to watch these guys, y'know, Calamity?" Kaden said. "Speaking of which, why don't I get you guys some dinner and I'll explain as much as I can?"

No one objected to free food and answers.

As they ate Kaden began to explain, all the while sipping some kind of hot drink. "Kids get ready for a bit of exposition, what I'm about to tell you never leaves this room. If Rykk finds out I told you this… well, just don't let him find out. Anyways, here we go. Rykk was a young human and a Dragon like Leo. He and a few friends (a couple of them were also Dragons) including Leo, like you guys, were accidentally taken to this world.

Through the months, the kid was tormented by Calamity, mostly by one of his puppets. You see, Calamity can put a puppet inside a person without him knowing. He does it through physical touch.

Through the puppet, Calamity saw and heard everything the kid did and little by little, changed his personality. The longer a puppet remains in a person, the more control it gains. Eventually, that person will have no control over themselves. Rykk said that it was like watching himself on TV; he couldn't do anything but watch. He watched as Calamity, through him, changed his personality. He made Rykk an angry person and mean.

All the while, Rykk and his friends were working with the Law Men trying to get Calamity. They got a tip one day from Decagon's predecessor, Lionel Arctan, on the location of an Attero assassin who supposedly knew where Calamity was. Turned out, it was a trap. Arctan wanted Rykk and his friends dead because they were a threat. Unbeknownst to us, Arctan was helping the League of Attero in exchange for money. Besides going after Calamity, Rykk and his friends were also hunting the Attero. They had learned the location of one of Arctan's Attero contacts. But they didn't know the person they were after worked for Arctan. So before they went after the guy, Arctan gave them the tip. Calamity took precedence.

The tip didn't lead to the assassin, it led to Calamity. Calamity then tortured and killed Rykk's best friend in front of him (this was before he was fully possessed). Rykk and the rest of his friends managed to escape but it was a few days later when Calamity took full possession of Rykk. His team soon figured Arctan had set them up. Rykk, in rage, went after him. His team tried to stop him but with his anger, and the fact he was possessed, they failed. He killed Arctan. But he didn't resist being captured and he was set to be hanged three days later.

Luckily for him, a human scientist from New Elko by the name of Christine Janice knew what was really going on. She was from Parson; don't ask me how she's still alive. She knew what Calamity could do and found Rykk's friends. She explained what she knew and told them the only way to get rid of the puppet and save their friend from execution was to get a Dark Radiation Core. The problem, the only ones they could get to in that short of time were in Parson.

It was a risky gamble because they had no way of knowing what the Being inside the core was like. It could've been a "good" one or a "bad one like Calamity.

Still it was the only option to save their friend. So, they made the dangerous journey and got back just as they put the noose on Rykk's neck. Once the only one on the stage was Rykk, they threw the Core and it broke at his feet. The Being inside entered the kid, got rid of Calamity's puppet (it flew out of him and proved he was possessed), and in turn, turned the kid into Rykk.

He was then cleared by the temporary fill-in that took Arctan's place. Since then, Calamity and Rykk have been fighting. Both have lost a lot, I can't give you the details but it was and is still a terrible fight. Rykk acts odd, I'm sure you all know that. Don't blame him, the possession by the puppet, his best friend's death, and being turned into a Bonded I'm sure took a toll on him. Plus who knows what else he's seen."

Kaden took a breath and a moment to let the info sink into the group.

"So, he killed Arctan while possessed by Calamity?" Sly asked.

Kaden nodded, "Yeah, you should've seen him transform into Rykk, it was wild, I can still hear the kid's screams."

"What was his name? You know, before it was Rykk?" Talwyn asked.

Bones elected to tell them Rykk's previous name but it really didn't matter.

"So the lombaxes of Velocity, they still hate him?" Clank asked.

Kaden shrugged, "Some do, some don't. I'd say about forty-five percent dislike him in a strong way. I'm not one of them, though I'm not a huge fan either."

"Dad, he saved my life, we were going to help him take Calamity out."

Kaden sighed, "Well, that's going to have to wait. When Rykk is healed, and he will be in about a day, he's going on trial. Us chiefs will vote and the judge will be the Chief of Justice, he's the highest ranking chief, basically just below the Prime Minister."

"But Calamity is out there killing people!" Murray exclaimed, "Don't they know that?"

"They do," Kaden said with a frustrated tone. "I've been trying to make him a priority like New Elko's leaders have but they'd rather go after Rykk, they see him as the bigger threat."

"Good luck trying to contain him," Clank commented.

"Unfortunately for Rykk, our scientists were able to create a restraining device that makes his use of the energy he calls Alter, useless. So he can't go through walls." Kaden looked at everyone; his green eyes were just a bit darker than his son's. "Look guys, it's getting late and you've had a rough day. I have plenty of space so let's call it a night."

* * *

Now this has certainly been a revealing chapter now huh? Oh trust me, there's still a good bit of mystery to this.

Remember, things are seldom all they seem.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this story so far and stay tuned for more.


	10. Chapter 10, Objection

Whew, my second longest chapter in this story, that's why the wait was a bit longer. Still, it was worth it.

This is one of my favorite ones to write so far. Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks to evil Ratchet96 for the reviews and input, am enjoying your stories so far as well. Thanks to Trekker77 as well for the review.

Please read and review, any reviews I get will be greatly appreciated as they keep me writing.

Now to the story...

* * *

Chapter 10, Objection,

* * *

Ratchet woke up. He was sleeping in one of the five guest rooms. Each room had either a queen bed or two twin beds. He was in one with two twins and was bunking with Sly again; it was simpler.

He got up, used the facilities, and went downstairs. He heard voices in the kitchen and made his way there. In the kitchen were Kaden, Atlas, Bentley, Talwyn, Bones, and Clank. Kaden's housekeeper, Terry Axis, had prepared breakfast for everyone. "Hey guys," Ratchet greeted.

Everyone said hi back. "Hey Ratchet," Kaden started, "I was able to get us access to Rykk. If you want, we can go see him after breakfast."

Ratchet nodded, "Yeah I would. Man, I'm still trying to figure what to think of him."

"So are nearly all of the chiefs." Kaden added. "Ratchet, I'd be lying if I said things looked good for him. Arctan was a well-respected and very well-liked Chief. Even after finding out what he had done, many lombaxes still miss him." Kaden sighed, "But, I'll do what I can to get Rykk free. Saving you and your friends has changed my view a bit."

"Thanks dad, so what have you done since you left our part of the universe? I mean besides become one of the most powerful lombaxes in the city."

His dad thought a second, his green eyes flashed. "Well, after things settled, I joined the Scouting Regiment of the Praetorian Guard. Learned a good deal, learned more about fighting and this world. I spent five years in the Scouts. Planned on many more, but I left after a run-in with Calamity." Kaden's face took a dark and hard expression, "He did things to my friends, I can't and won't describe." Kaden's expression softened as he continued, "After I left, I started working for the last Chief of Internal Security. I can't go into detail about my job but I've seen and heard a lot of interesting things. Most of the time, I thought about you. I'd imagine what you'd be doing. Anyways, don't want to embarrass you any more in front of your friends."

Ratchet chuckled and shook his head, "Nah dad, you didn't embarrass me. By the way, on the way here I saw a few small, red, imp-like creatures. You know what they were?"

Sly, Murray, and Carmelita all entered the kitchen at once and began to have breakfast.

Kaden nodded yes to Ratchet's question. "Nocturnes, they are a native species to this planet. There are different types but the red ones you'll see around the city. They are sentient and do some business with us and humans. They are cunning little things, so when doing any kind of dealing with them, be careful. Not to say that all will cheat you, but just keep your wits."

"You said that there are other types?" Talwyn asked.

"Yeah, there are three and they are distinguished by their color and the way they treat others. Red ones are the most friendly. Black ones are less friendly but rarely do they do any harm. They prefer to mind their own business. Blue ones are generally troublemakers; they have attacked human and lombax alike and love to mess with us. And yes, like their name suggests, they are nocturnal."

"Guys," Ratchet said to Sly, Murray, and Carmelita as he finished his breakfast. "My dad said we can go see Rykk today. We're planning on going once we're done here, that is if you want to come?"

Sly sighed, "Yeah, I'll come."

Murray swallowed, "I'm in."

Carmelita simply nodded yes.

There was a knock on Kaden's front door and his servant answered. "Mr. Ellipse; Mr. Edwards, Mr. Davis, and Ms. Saga are here."

"Good, show them in."

All three of the visitors were human. Edwards introduced himself, "I'm Theo Edwards and this is Phil Davis and Nai Saga." Theo looked to be in his early twenties, had light brown hair and blue eyes. He was of average height and size for a human. Phil was around the same age as Theo but a bit taller. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes. Nai was also around the same age and was of orient descent. She was around the same height as Theo.

Atlas smiled, "Dese tree are Law Men, an' Teo es also a Dragon loike Leo."

"Leo was and is still my mentor. Guessin he's still asleep?" Theo asked.

Atlas nodded, "Yeah, te old bum."

"Hello Atlas," Phil said as he gave Atlas a friendly hug. "It's been a while."

Atlas smiled, "Et's been too long."

Nai chuckled, "Ah Atlas, I've missed you and your accent."

Atlas laughed, "Oi can speak wit your accent but et takes me a lot of effert."

"No, your accent is cool,"

Atlas then introduced Ratchet and Sly and their friends to Theo, Phil, and Nai.

When he finished, Theo said, "Sorry we can't stay, just wanted to stop by and say hi. But we'll be in the courtroom. Man, I can't believe they caught him."

"Calamity nearly killed him, that's how they got him." Ratchet responded.

"That murdering demon, they had just reported another body found as we left New Elko." Phil stated, "Or at least, most of one."

Phil's statement made Sly glad he had eaten before he heard it.

"Anyways, we have to go," Nai said. "We'll see you in a bit." With that, the trio of Law Men left.

An hour later and the gang headed for the Holding Facility. It was a tall, grey building with very small windows.

Kaden got the group access to Rykk's room/holding cell. It was like a combination of a prison cell with a hospital room. Dividing the room was a transparent wall.

Rykk sat on the edge of his bed. He looked as if deep in thought. His entire torso was covered in bandages. His tail moved slowly across the sheets. What caught the group's eyes was Rykk's right ear, the one that was cut off by Calamity. It was now whole. However, the section that was cut off was now an almost-shiny white. They also saw some kind of collar device around Rykk's neck. It was a dark grey color and had a single green light on it. The collar made Sly have a bit of pity; it made Rykk look like nothing more than a caged animal.

Rykk's white-tipped ear perked slightly at the sound of his cell door being opened. He looked up and grinned a bit, "Hey guys." His green, slit eyes sparkled slightly.

"Hi Rykk," Ratchet started, "Hey, I know you've probably met this lombax before…" Ratchet motioned toward his dad.

"Yeah, I know him, Chief Kaden Ellipse, one of the highest ranking officials."

"Well…" Ratchet started, "He's also my father, and he's going to help."

Rykk chuckled, "Well, congratulations Ratchet, I must admit, I wasn't expecting to hear that. So I guess that everything is good?"

"Ya mean besoides ya bein locked up? Yea everytin' es foine," Atlas answered smartly.

Rykk scoffed, "Been in worse spots before."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that this situation is a good one." Kaden remarked. "Rykk, I'm going to be honest with you, things don't look good. You're due in court tomorrow and many of the lombaxes in there want your tail."

Rykk simply grunted in response.

"That doesn't mean there isn't any hope for you, just hang in there and don't do anything reckless." Kaden advised.

"Not like I can do much, watch," Rykk said and held his palm up. There was a flash of black and purple and the collar beeped. Rykk then convulsed and fell sideways onto his bed. The shock lasted for two seconds. When it was over he sat back up. "Gonna die of boredom before they can hang me," He remarked darkly.

"You're not gonna die!" Ratchet said sternly, "Now we can pay you back for saving us. Just… hang on."

"The odds in court may be against us," Clank started, "But we've gone up against worse odds trying to fly home from Galaxy Burger." Clank grinned slightly.

His comment made Rykk grin, slightly. "Thanks guys, in case things don't go well; just stay safe ok?"

"Don't talk like that," Carmelita spoke, "Don't give up hope. You've had a rough time and I know we just met, but we do need you."

"Besides, I promised your dad I'd look after you and made sure you were ok." Leo said in as serious tone he could muster. His eyes began to get wet as he said the words.

The mention of his father made Rykk turn so that he faced away from his friends. Tears came to his eyes as he remembered the good times. He did his best not to lose it in front of them but they could still hear his restrained weeping. "Please go," Rykk said between tears.

Ratchet was about to say something but felt a hand on his shoulder. It was his dad's.

Kaden then started motioning towards the door, "Guys, I think Rykk needs some time alone."

Everyone quietly walked out of the room. They were even more confused about the situation.

"He looked like a caged animal with the collar," Talwyn commented.

"Yeah, can't imagine what he's feeling." Sly added.

"What can we do dad?" Ratchet asked.

"You guys will be called as witnesses. All you can do is tell them what happened. Let's go, the trial starts in a couple hours."

It was sometime in the afternoon when the gang was led to the courtroom. It was circular in design and had a large, semi-circle desk that sat around seven. In the center of the large desk was where the Chief of Justice sitting. He was an older lombax with a mighty frame. He had yellow fur with hints of silver and crimson stripes. Kaden sat to the right of the CJ, to his right sat Chief of Defense, Ryan Decagon. The other four seat were filled with the other Chiefs; The Chief of Transportation, The Chief of Technology, The Chief of Agriculture, and The Chief of Education.

There were seats for spectators and they were all filled. That's where Ratchet, Sly, and friends sat. Theo, Phil, and Nai sat on the other side of the section. Not by choice, but because there weren't any other spots open.

The court was mostly composed of a dark brown wood. The place was definitely constructed by lombaxes, its walls, desk, and décor had an angled, yet smooth and elegant design. On the walls were six, elegantly carved windows. In the center of the room was a vertical, metal pole.

The place was mostly quiet except for the occasional whisper from the spectators or Chiefs.

They waited for about a half hour until the main doors swung open. They revealed Rykk between two, tall and big lombax Praetorian guards. Rykk wore only his black pants and the bandages on his torso. His hands were cuffed behind his back. He still had the collar on but this time there was a chain attached to it. The end of the chain rested in one of the guard's hands. Rykk's head was low as were his ears and tail. He didn't even look up when the guard shoved him forward. They then proceeded to the pole in the center of the room.

As they walked there were plenty of glares from the crowd aimed at Rykk. No one said anything nor did they need to.

The guards latched the end of the chain onto the end of the pole.

_As if the collar was bad enough, they have to chain him up like a dog?_

The Chief of Justice looked at a sheet of paper. "Well Rykk, I must admit, I didn't think I'd ever see you in this courtroom."

"Frankly sir neither did I." Rykk responded.

"Rykk, you stand before us accused of murdering the Chief of Defense, Lionel Arctan. Now, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Rykk said firmly.

Sly could hear quite a few lombaxes scoff and others shook their head.

"I see, well now in light of recent events, I would like to call some witnesses to come forward. First up is Ratchet Ellipse."

Ratchet left his seat and stood to Rykk's right.

"Alright son," The Chief of Justice started, "Now just tell us everything that happened when you arrived to this world."

Ratchet took a deep breath and then began to tell what had happened the past few days. When he was done, about a half hour later, he added. "Chiefs, I don't know what happened here before, but as far as I can tell, Rykk is the only one that stands a chance to kill the sick freak that Calamity is. Plus, he saved my life and that of my friend's; I don't think a murderer would have."

"Thank you Ratchet, Chiefs, any questions for Ratchet?" The Chief of Justice offered.

Surprisingly no one had any questions for Ratchet and so Ratchet returned to his seat.

After Ratchet, Leo was called, then Atlas, then Sly, and then Bentley. No one asked them any questions either.

Sly thought it was because they weren't really interested in what they had to say; their testimonies were just a formality.

Once the testimonies were finished the Chief of Justice said, "I will now allow the Chiefs to say a few words or present any evidence they have."

Not surprisingly, the first Chief to stand was Ryan Decagon. "Sir, I am Chief of Defense Ryan Decagon. As everyone here knows; not only was Rykk at the scene of the crime, he surrendered without resisting, and he had a motive, revenge. Or at least he thought he did. He accused my predecessor of dealing with the League of Attero. He also accused Mr. Arctan of trying to cover this up and have he and his friends killed. Whether or not these accusations are true is a moot point, he still should not have died. He should have been tried in this court. To make matters worse, Rykk himself is also a Bonded, just like the infamous Calamity. Therefore, I say that not only has he committed murder, he is also a threat to us here and now."

While Decagon gave his point, Rykk was silent. He said nothing, didn't even look up. Not even as the crowd of lombaxes applauded. Some even gave verbal agreement.

Most of the gang in the stands were conflicted. Leo wasn't and just shook his head. Atlas was resting/covering his mouth on his hands. Bones and Clank were not allowed inside the courtroom. Ratchet wished Clank was there, he might have helped the somewhat torn lombax.

The next Chief to stand was Kaden. "Sir, I am Chief of Internal Security Kaden Ellipse. I believe the one really behind the killing of Mr. Arctan was Calamity. I would also like to correct Mr. Decagon's statement in that Rykk was not a Bonded at the time of the murder. He was possessed by one of Calamity's puppets. The famous scientist, Christine Janice confirmed it. However, the most prominent evidence for my statement comes from the day he was supposed to be hanged. When he was turned into Rykk, the puppet inside him flew out and away. I saw it and many lombaxes here saw it as well. Those that were there and deny it are lying. And, though Rykk is a Bonded, he is nothing like Calamity. In point of fact, he saved not only my son, but his friends from Calamity on multiple occasions. The last one almost got him killed. I surmise a true murderous psychopath would not give up his life for someone he just met. Therefore, I conclude that he is innocent of these charges."

The court was quiet when Kaden finished. Some lombaxes looked genuinely torn. Others even seemed to look a bit sympathetic towards Rykk. However, most had a stubborn look of scorn.

The Chief of Technology stood up. He was an average-sized lombax with white fur and crimson stripes. "I am Chief of Technology Keith Argand. I knew Arctan, he was a good friend. These charges against him are absurd and this Rykk; undoubtedly committed the act. He needs to be held accountable for it and I will see that he gets it."

Argand's speech also got a light round of applause.

Another chief stood. This one was a bit taller and had yellow fur with crimson stripes. "I am Chief of Transportation Jack Extremum. Looking at the case I am inclined to agree with the Chief of Internal Security. I believe this Rykk is innocent; his behavior after being turned into a Bonded is more indicative of someone who has gone through great trauma, not one who has inflicted it. That, and as Mr. Ellipse stated previously, we did see the puppet fly out of Rykk as he was turned into a Bonded. So I pose this question, would you condemn an innocent's blood to satisfy your bloodlust?"

As Extremum finished there was a very light murmur among the crowd.

The last chief to speak was a shorter lombax with yellow fur and brown stripes. "I am Chief of Education Miles Linear. To answer Mr. Extremum's question I ask another, how do you know he is innocent? He was an angry person, many people will attest to that. His girlfriend left him because he was harsh. Many of his friends deserted him and he was known to be violent. He is more dangerous now than when he killed Arctan and he should be put down."

_Put down? _Ratchet thought, _so he's like a sick dog to them?_

The Chief of Justice then said with his booming voice, "I'm now opening the floor for the Chiefs to ask Rykk any questions they may have."

"Rykk, if what you claim is true, how did Calamity possess you?" The Chief of Agriculture asked.

Rykk sat down on the ground, "He can implant a puppet through physical touch. It's impossible to feel to unsuspecting victims. The most likely time the puppet entered me was when I first came here; when he nearly strangled me to death." Rykk responded with a touch of venom near the end.

"So the puppet was in you for weeks then?"

"Yeah, he saw everything, heard everything, and knew everything I did."

"What proof do you have that Arctan set you up?" Decagon asked with a somewhat demeaning tone.

Rykk growled quietly in response, "You mean besides the fact that the Law Men captured the man we were going after and found a letter with Arctan's seal on it? Besides the fact that me and my team were nearly killed? that my best friend, Kaden Magnus was tortured and killed by Calamity?.. He, was only sixteen!" Rykk shouted as a burst of anger and rage flared up and he felt his eyes get wet. He forced them shut and lowered his head. Then he began to chuckle darkly. "You all, maybe you're right to condemn me, but now is not the time. Let me go after Calamity and when he is dead, I will give myself up. I am not a threat to you."

"You will just run as you have before," The Chief of Technology stated abruptly.

"There is a much greater threat that you are all ignoring!" Rykk shouted and raised his head, his emotions started to flow like a rushing river. As the volume of his voice rose, his eyes began to glow. His glowing green eyes had slight red shimmers in them. "You politicians would rather appease the bloodlust of your subordinates, than go after a psychopath that would love nothing more than to rip you all to shreds! He is killing both lombaxes and humans alike! Just the other day he dismembered a human and lombax! Male or female, young or old, he doesn't care! He will torment everyone to death! You are fools to put on this charade now! Don't you care about your friends or your families?! He, won't, stop, until the ground is covered in blood and bodies!" He shouted in rage.

A Praetorian Guard then kicked Rykk in the head.

Rykk just laughed loudly and in a dark, menacing manner. It visibly unsettled a few lombaxes in the court. "You think that hurt? Do it again, think I'm beginning to enjoy getting my tail kicked. Besides, compared to Calamity, you're nothing." Rykk then spat on the shoe of the guard.

The guard growled and punched Rykk in the face.

"If my sentence is to be beaten to death," Rykk stated, "This is going to take a while."

Ratchet couldn't help but smirk at Rykk's remark.

"Sir," Kaden asked/stated, "No matter how rude he is; Rykk is right. Calamity is out there and he is actively killing. Now can one of you give me a solution on how to handle him?" He said as he looked at each of the chiefs.

Most were quiet then Decagon spoke, "The VIM project."

Kaden was silent and furrowed his brow.

"For those chiefs that don't know, explain the project. " The Chief of Justice asked.

"The VIM project is the development of superlombaxes via special, Valkyrie-laced, serums. Somewhat similar to New Elko's Hammer, the key difference is that these will imbue superpowers. What the superpowers will be, will be determined by the user's DNA."

"Have you developed any superlombaxes?" Kaden asked.

"A couple," Decagon responded, "We haven't started field tests, but they look capable."

Rykk scoffed; "Strength isn't enough, Calamity will tear through them."

The Chief of Justice studied Rykk and thought for a few seconds. "All the chiefs will meet and we will deliberate. When finished, your verdict will be announced. For now bailiff, take Rykk back to his cell." With that all the chiefs left the courtroom and Rykk was taken back his cell.

"I can't believe that they still want your tail!" Ratchet exclaimed. It was a few hours later. The gang had gone to get a bite and had to force their way through a crowd to get into the holding facility.

Rykk was sitting on his bed and held his head. "You lombaxes are stubborn." He stated.

"I don't get how they can't see that it was Calamity that killed Arctan." Bentley stated; he was confounded.

"They got the taste of blood," Sly stated before sighing, "I'm sure Kaden is doing all he can. Besides, there was that other chief that thought you were innocent." He said trying to cheer Rykk up.

"Hey can someone explain to me why they had Rykk chained to a pole?" Talwyn asked.

"Dey do dat for murderers, rapists, and basically anyone dat 'as committed a croime worty of death." Atlas answered, "But yea, Oi see what ya mean."

"I can't take this," Bones stated, "After everything I went through with Spark, I can't bear to see this happen." If an A.I. could tear up, Bones would have.

"I'm sorry about this Bones, you've seen a lot." Rykk stated.

There was a knock on the door. A guard came in carrying a tray of food for Rykk. It wasn't the one that hit Rykk, the other one.

"Hey, you know if they're close to being done?" Rykk asked as the tray was slid through a slot. He took the tray and began to eat.

"No, I'm sorry," The guard paused, "I'm sorry for all of this, I'm one of the few who think you're right about Calamity. And I don't believe you killed Arctan."

Rykk swallowed a bit before asking, "What's your name?"

"Tyler Masters,"

"Thanks Tyler,"

With that the guard left.

"How's the food?" Sly asked. He knew a thing or two about prison food.

Rykk swallowed again and shrugged, "Eh, had worse, had better."

"Nice speech in there Rykk," Carmelita complemented. "I like that fire you showed, hmph, politicians." Carmelita had disdain for most politicians, so much red tape and paperwork.

"Thanks, though I think I just made myself look like a lunatic." Rykk responded.

"No, those that were thinking clearly saw and heard raw passion, hurt, and anger in your words." Clank answered, "Few times have I seen such a display."

Rykk nodded, "Thanks Clank."

Leo stepped forward. "Rykk, whatever happens, I want you to know that I, we care about you. After everything that has happened, I consider you family. No matter if you're a Bonded or not, I can still see that kid inside you. The same kid I watched grow up, the same kid that was told his father's and Spark's story. The same kid that helped humanity come back from near extinction. You do not deserve this, you hear me? You, do not, deserve this." Leo said firmly.

Leo's speech visibly affected Rykk. He was able to resist getting emotional and responded, "Leo, you were always like a brother to me. You and all of the old gang were like siblings. Though we lived in that hellhole in Nicaragua, it was ok." Rykk chuckled lightly, "My dad, he always had a way to keep me going, to cheer me on." He said in a longing tone.

"He still is," Leo said in a comforting tone.

"Hey Rykk, thanks, for everything." Sly added.

Rykk smiled a little, "No problem Sly. By the way, Ratchet? Personally I think Sly beat you in your contest back on the transport." Rykk said with a mischievous look, he knew what he had started.

Sly grinned, "Told ya I won."

Ratchet rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, Rykk, when you get out, Sly and I are having a rematch and you have to judge fairly this time."

Rykk chuckled and noticed everyone else had a bit of confused look on their faces. "It's an inside thing, trust me, you don't want to know."

Talwyn shook her head, "Knowing Ratchet, you're probably right."

Carmelita then added, "Yeah, this ringtail can be a child at times."

As Carmelita finished her sentence there was a knock on the door. It was Tyler, "The chiefs are finished. Time to go,"

An hour later and everyone was back in the court. They had to wait a few minutes before the chiefs came in.

"All rise as the verdict is read," The bailiff stated and everyone stood. There was a quiet eagerness in the air; a tenseness that hung uncomfortably.

"The defendant, Rykk, you are accused of murdering the Chief of Defense Lionel Arctan. We Chiefs of Velocity find you…"

Everyone was on edge.

"…Guilty, your sentence, it is hanging. It will be carried out two days from now. My God have mercy on your soul."

_No,_ Ratchet thought, his heart sank.

_Not surprised, disappointed, but not surprised._ Sly thought grimly.

Talwyn put her fingers on her head. Her face showed anger and sadness.

Leo shook his head grimly before looking over at Theo. He nodded and Theo, Phil, and Nai got up and left.

Bentley sighed and held his head.

Murray was just silent. His face showed frustration and a great deal of it.

Carmelita's expression showed anger, like she wanted to maul someone.

Most of the lombaxes nodded and/or smiled in approval.

Rykk just hung his head, his ears drooped and his tail was still and low. He shot his head up and roared; it was a deafening display of rage, frustration, anger, and despair. It was an unnatural sound and made quite a few lombaxes shake in fear, including a few chiefs. The collar was shocking him but his emotions were so high he didn't feel it. Blue arcs of electricity could be seen on Rykk's neck and collar.

When Rykk stopped, he fell onto his side panting. There were wisps of steam coming from the collar.

When the court was silent after a few seconds, the Chief of Justice ordered, "Bailiff, take the condemned back to his cell."

As the bailiff approached the broken Bonded, there was a loud rushing of wind throughout the room. There was a crack of thunder as a white and purple lightning bolt flew through one of the windows. It struck the ground a few yards in front of Rykk. Green and yellow flames appeared from the spot and a figure formed amidst the flames.

The flames dissipated revealing a tall, black-robbed, lombax. The black robe had a decent-length trail of fabric. She had; white fur, no stripes, ears half the length of normal lombax ears, lightly glowing, green/yellow eyes, bright red lips, long red fingernails, and two, black, curved horns on her head. In her left hand was a staff with a spherical top. At the base of her horns was a black head covering that covered most of her head save her face. She smiled darkly, "Well, I would like to object." Her voice was smooth, elegant, dark, and mockingly respectful. She then chuckled in the same manner.

Ratchet began to tremble as fear sprung up in him. _Ebony, she really is real? What is she?_

* * *

So quite a lot of stuff in this one and you get Ebony's first real, physical appearance. So tell me, do you think the court was right to condemn Rykk? If not why? If so why?

Any thoughts on the story thus far would be awesome, thank you,

_Jerod2447_


	11. Chapter 11, Necessity

Whew, ok, this is my second longest chapter. Had fun coming up with it and wanted to thank all of the readers. This story just past 500 views.

Also stayed up till about 5:30 writing half of this chapter, think I'm getting addicted to writing.

Again thanks to evil Ratchet96 for the reviews and input, been fun and a lot of help. Also thanks to Trekker77 for their review.

So, what does Ebony want?

* * *

.Chapter 11, Necessity,

* * *

The two Praetorian Guards charged the intruder.

She spun around, white and purple lightning jumped from the sphere on top of her staff. The guards went flying back as thunder roared and they were shocked. The guards collapsed and were convulsing.

Everyone froze to see what would happen next.

Ebony turned back to the chiefs. "Now that was rude, I trust that we won't be interrupted again?"

"Who are you madam and what is it you desire?" The Chief of Justice asked in as a respectful tone he could muster.

"Why don't you ask Ratchet who I am?" She remarked as she smiled knowingly at the young lombax.

Ratchet felt a pang of fear as she mentioned him. He jumped up and was visibly shaking, "I don't know you! You were a dream!"

She scoffed, "If you really still think that was just a dream, then you are a fool." She turned back to the council, "I am Ebony."

"What is your desire?" The Chief of Justice repeated.

"I want you," She pointed her staff at Kaden, "To visit me in Parson."

Kaden was more than a bit surprised, "Me? What business do we have?"

Ebony smiled, anger and spite was practically written on her lips. "Oh we have more business then you know. You will visit me in two weeks in Parson's square or there will be dire consequences. And, I want Rykk and his friends to escort you."

"Why?" Ryan Decagon asked.

Ebony smirked, "Idiots, it would be pointless for him to perish in Parson before meeting me. I want Kaden, and his son's ragtag group to meet me in Parson. I suggest you get ready, Parson is a bit uncivilized."

"Rykk has killed a high ranking official, he must pay for it." Decagon retorted.

Green flames appeared around Ebony as she became irritated by the young politician. "Fine, I'll make this simple for you imbeciles." Her voice took an even more menacing and outright fiery tone. It also seemed to resonate more throughout the chamber. "If Rykk's neck hangs on the noose, all the powers of hell, on your families I will loose!" The green flames grew in intensity as she spun her enchantment. She finished her spell with a loud, echoing laugh. It was the same laugh Ratchet had heard in his dream and in the bathroom. There was a flash of flame and Ebony vanished. Her laugh echoed and everyone was silent.

Rykk was stunned, it was one of few times in recent memory he's felt that way. He then noticed that his collar was off, he looked down and saw it lying on the ground. He blasted the collar, leaving a charred mark on the floor. "Well, that was unlike anything I've seen before." He remarked as he stood up.

Ratchet was trembling, his hands and tail were quivering and Sly looked at him; "Your dream, what did she say or do?"

Ratchet took a second to respond, "Later."

"I get the feeling you'll have to tell them about your dream now." Sly whispered and pointed at the chiefs.

As if on cue, the Chief of Justice pointed at Ratchet. "Young Ratchet Ellipse, step forward please."

Ratchet did.

"What happened? How do you know this Ebony?" Kaden asked firmly with just a touch of concern.

Ratchet knew he had no choice, so he explained his nightmare as best he could remember. When he finished he was told to return to his seat.

Kaden was by this time more than a bit worried. "Sir, what are your orders?" He asked the Chief of Justice.

"Rykk, you're one lucky tail, we'll deal with you later. But, I want you…"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Rykk started, a grin of satisfaction laced his lips. "Now, you do not own me. I will help Kaden and Ratchet as they are my friends. Then, I'm hunting Calamity." He said firmly with dead-eye resolve.

The Chief of Justice sighed before pausing to think a bit. "Kaden, I can't order you to go or stay, I will leave this situation up to your discretion. Everyone, this court is adjourned."

A few hours later and everyone sat around the dinner table in Kaden's home. Theo, Phil, and Nai had returned to their hotel. Leo told them he'd tell them the plan when they've made it.

Rykk started, "The way I see it, if you want to actually meet Ebony there's only one route."

Kaden sighed, "I've got an idea where you're going. And as far as I can see meeting her is the only option. So, what is your plan?"

Rykk paused for a second to gather his thoughts. "You newbs to Agrona take the VIM serum and get whatever superpowers you can. You guys won't survive Parson if you go the way you are."

Ratchet grinned, "Well now, I'm up for getting some powers. Anything that'll help us kill Calamity and deal with this Ebony. What say you Talwyn?"

She chuckled, "Came with you this far, not gonna stop now."

"I too shall assist in any way I can." Clank offered.

Ratchet then looked at Sly, "What about you guys?"

Sly sat with his arms crossed, "Course I'm in. Not much of a monster killer, but I get the feeling we need all the help we can get."

"Murray and I are both in," Bentley stated and Murray nodded.

Carmelita smiled, "I'm ready to take down these clowns, just get me set."

Kaden looked down, "My status will grant us access to VIM, Rykk, I want you to teach them how to use their abilities and train them until we leave for Parson."

Rykk leaned back, "Three questions; one, them? You're not going to take VIM? Two, how many lombaxes are in the program? And three, why do you want me to train them?"

"Before I get to answering them, anyone want something? Food or drink?" Kaden offered.

Only Rykk took him up on the offer, "I'll take a bottle of Fyre."

Kaden chuckled, "A whole bottle? Rykk, you got a gut of steel to handle that."

Rykk just smiled as Kaden got him the bottle. It was a tall, blue bottle with a bright orange flame logo on it. Rykk took the top off and began to drink it quickly.

"Yes them, I'll take the Law Men serum, Hammer. It's not that it's not safe, I wouldn't let you guys do it if it was, but I can't. As a chief, I can't enter the VIM project. It would cause too much trouble and bureaucracy. However, I have obtained a syringe of Hammer. I'll administer it tonight and then we'll get you guys into VIM tomorrow morning. As for your second question, there are three lombaxes that have taken the VIM so far. You'll meet them tomorrow. Sorry, don't have their names or list of abilities. I do know it works and they've been practicing for a few weeks. And third, because you're the best fighter around; that and I'm sure Leo, Atlas, and the other Law Men and Dragons are willing to help teach as well. But I do want you to lead it."

Rykk then asked, "Think this'll help get the lombaxes off my tail?"

Kaden shook his head, "Can't answer that. All I can say, it'll be an interesting two weeks."

"Whenever you are ready Mr. Ellipse, I'll administer the Hammer to you," Leo stated.

"I'll go get it," Kaden went and got the syringe. He came back a minute later, "The Law Men gave this to me when I turned down the offer to join them. They said this was in case I changed my mind." He then handed the serum to Leo.

"Mr. Ellipse, do you have any clothes a bit bigger than what you have on?" Leo asked. "Hammer tends to add bulk and height to ya."

Kaden thought for a sec, "I got a pair of old work pants that were always a bit loose for me."

In size, Kaden was just a bit bigger than Ratchet. If you didn't know they were father and son, you'd swear they were brothers.

Kaden changed from his Chief uniform into the pair of old, brown, torn-up, bit-too-baggy pants. "Always wondered why I kept these blasted pants. How do you want to do this?"

"It would probably be best if you lie down." Bones recommended.

Kaden led Leo and Bones and, well, everyone else into his living room. Everyone new to Agrona wanted to see what Hammer did.

"Mr. Ellipse," Atlas started.

"Please, call me Kaden, Atlas." Kaden requested.

"Kaden, dis will feel a bit rough, basically, Hammer while be growin your muscles an' hardening your bones. Et will make ya stronger, but et will hurt loike notin you've felt before."

Kaden grunted, "Then let's get it over with." He then nodded to Leo.

Leo then carefully sunk the needle through Kaden's armfur. There was a bit of a pinch and a bit of blood. Leo withdrew the needle and a drop of blood rolled down Kaden's arm.

Kaden took a deep breath, for a few seconds there was no reaction. Then his face contorted into an expression of pain. His hands clenched up and soon his whole body seemed to tense. There was a faint cracking sound and Kaden began to yell. His howl echoed throughout the house and the cracking sound got louder. This lasted for over ten minutes; Kaden yelled one more time before his body relaxed and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was sweating profusely and breathing hard but was able to sit up.

While Kaden wasn't a slouch when it came to physical fitness, he was definitely bigger after the Hammer injection. He stood almost a foot taller than Ratchet, whereas before he was maybe two inches taller. His chest, back, stomach, arms, and legs gained a good layer of muscle. The pants, that were baggy for him a few minutes earlier, were now quite tight. Kaden examined his body, "Wow, this is impressive." He still felt off, the Hammer had to finish; boosting his immune system, strengthening his heart and lungs, raising his metabolism, reinforcing his joints, and hardening his bones.

Ratchet looked up to his dad, literally now. "Wow dad, you really grew and bulked up!" He was definitely impressed, and everyone else was too.

"Kaden," Carmelita started, "Is VIM going to do the same?"

"Hm, think so, but it'll also give you random powers based on your DNA. Looks like I, need to go clothes shopping tomorrow." Kaden shook his head and laughed, "If your mom heard me say those words she'd of had me committed." Kaden suddenly felt, and heard, his stomach yearning for sustenance, "Atlas? Does Hammer make you very hungry?"

"Hammer effects everyone en different ways. Some git hungry, some git jittery, oters git tired, an' oters git notin. When Oi was Hammered, Oi felt loike Oi was gonna pass out."

"It makes sense," Clank added, "Your body just expended a good deal of energy and probably needs more. This is no small change."

Kaden chuckled as he walked towards a com panel on the wall. He pushed the red talk button, "Ms. Axis, you awake?"

Kaden's housekeeper answered. "You know I stay up, how may I help you Kaden?"

"I just got a very strong hunger, need you to make me a late-night meal."

"I'll be down soon,"

"Thanks Terry,"

Terry Axis was a top-notch housekeeper and a sweet lombax. She often acted as Kaden's right hand and was a very tough woman. Like Kaden, she lost her spouse on Fastoon. She was about ten years older than her employer/friend and one of the best cooks in Velocity.

Within an hour, she had prepared everything he requested. Kaden's requests were many; it was enough to feed half the group. Yet, she somehow managed to make it all in an hour and chat with Kaden and the group. She was a friendly sort and gave tips to Talwyn, Carmelita, Ratchet, and Bentley on how to prepare local cuisine.

When she was done, Kaden dug in. When he finished, about a half hour later, he leaned back in his chair and sighed contently. Everyone was amazed (it was becoming a common occurrence on Agrona), the older lombax's gut was a yellow, furry orb. All that food would go to fueling the rest of the Hammer process. Soon after eating, he soon felt a wave of drowsiness set in. "Guys, stay up as late as you want," –yawn- "but think this took all my energy. I'll see you in the morning."

Everyone said goodnight to the older lombax chief.

They then each went back to their rooms.

"Dang Ratchet," Sly sat as he sat on the edge of his bed. "Your dad looks ready to kick butt."

Ratchet chuckled, "Yeah, it makes me wonder what the VIM is going to do to us tomorrow. I can't wait to see; I just hope it's enough. Ebony has me a bit spooked."

"Can't blame you there; the way she sounded in your dream was creepy enough, but her appearance in court today shook everyone up, even Rykk."

Ratchet gave Sly a look that read, "What?"

"Saw Rykk's expression when she showed, there was definitely surprise in it."

"Guess so," Ratchet responded.

Sly tossed his gloves and shirt onto the nightstand, "By the way, I knew that you lied to me about forgetting your dream."

"I'm sorry," Ratchet apologized, "I just didn't know what to think."

Sly nodded, "Understandable, but I am a master thief; I've learned how to read people pretty well. I either recommend you get better at lying or don't do it around me." Sly stated with a light chuckle.

It was early in the morning when Ms. Axis made rounds to wake everyone up.

Ratchet woke and went downstairs. He heard voices out back and wandered over. Outside, Kaden and Rykk were facing each other in sparring stances. It was then Ratchet noticed that there were dozens of white, crisscrossing lines on the line of black fur on Rykk's back. The lines were no doubt caused by Calamity; however there were few scars on his bare skin.

"What's going on?" Ratchet asked. Atlas, Leo, and Bentley were also outside.

"Rykk's testing your dad in a practice duel." Bentley answered.

Kaden charged Rykk and performed an uppercut.

Rykk dodged, grappled Kaden's arm, spun, and shoved Kaden onto the ground. Kaden recovered by rolling to his feet and faced Rykk. "Not bad," Rykk commented, "Decent speed and good recovery."

This time Rykk charged Kaden and threw two rapid punches to Kaden's core.

Kaden blocked both punches with his forearms and countered with a kick.

Rykk blocked the kick and punched Kaden in the chest.

The hit knocked Kaden back. Rykk was obviously pulling his punches. Even though Kaden was now pretty strong, Rykk was no doubt stronger and faster.

Kaden recovered and performed a flurry of punches. They were all blocked. Kaden finished his strikes with a spin kick to Rykk's head.

Rykk ducked the kick and spun. His tail quickly curled around Kaden's ankle and tripped him. Kaden fell onto his back and Rykk finished his move by putting his foot on Kaden's chest. "You got some good moves and speed." Rykk took his foot off and offered his hand.

Kaden took Rykk's hand and was hoisted up. "Figured I'd be beat by you, but not by your tail; didn't know it was prehensile."

Rykk chuckled and winked mischievously, "That's one of my secret tricks. For now, I suggest you all get ready for whatever this VIM thing is."

An hour later and everyone was walking down the street. For obvious reasons Rykk opted to fly.

"Where is the VIM project?" Ratchet asked.

"At the New Center for Advanced Lombax Research," Kaden answered, "It's about a mile away, should be a nice walk."

It was a nice day as far as Agrona was concerned. Ratchet looked up at towers and monorails that were hundreds of feet above. He was able to spot small dots, not trains, sliding on the rails and jumping from rail to rail. _Sweet, looks like at least these lombaxes know how to have fun._ "Dad, do you ride the rails up there?" He pointed at them.

"I can, we use these," Kaden pointed to his boots, "When we get the chance, I can show you."

Atlas shrugged, "Tese rails are noice, but New Elko's? Now tose are intense and a whole lotta fun."

Like any city, there were thousands of lombaxes going to and fro. On the streets were carts being pulled by those enhanced horses; there was also an occasional motorized transport. They vaguely resembled cars except the two front wheels were a bit further apart than the rear ones.

"Hey Kaden," Sly started, "What kind of vehicles are those?"

"Those are Efficient, Vehicular, Transports; EVTs for short. They use a combination of Valkyrie and gasoline to run. The Valkyrie both makes them very efficient and neutralizes the exhaust. So they get great fuel mileage and are safe for the environment." Kaden explained.

"How many lombaxes are there on Agrona?" Talwyn asked.

Bones answered, "2.8 million are currently living on this planet."

"Wow, that's an impressive number. Are most from Fastoon?" Clank asked.

"Roughly 55% are native-born to Fastoon; it would seem that they partially adopted the human culture here as well." Bones stated.

"Didn't have much choice," Kaden remarked, "They outnumbered us and outgunned us."

"So, they conquered us?" Ratchet asked.

"No, they allowed us to settle here and helped us a great deal. Without them, there would be half of the lombaxes there are now."

"So what's going on in New Elko?" Ratchet asked, "Was told that it wasn't safe."

Leo answered, "New Elko has taken the brunt of Rykk and Calamity's fight. That and Calamity helped a civil dispute and political tension to turn into civil war. The fight is over but they are still cleaning up and it's been difficult. If everything goes well in Parson, we'll go there after."

A short time later the group arrived at the NCLR. It was one of the biggest buildings in the city. Above the main door was the logo that Ratchet had first seen on Sargasso. The structure was composed mostly of glass and dark, riveted metal. There were a large number of lombaxes and a decent amount of humans in the crowd.

The group moved through the crowd and entered the huge lobby. It was an impressive sight. It had large, stone columns; each had carvings of lombax symbols and figures. Large windows let the yellow light shine on the crimson stone. The floor was a smooth, grey and white tile.

While everyone took in the sight, Rykk appeared through the floor. "Hmph, this is gonna be awkward."

His voice made Carmelita jump. "Aw geez, can't you warn us next time?"

"Thought you didn't care what people thought?" Leo stated.

Rykk shook his head, "I don't, but anything more than a bad look rubs me the wrong way." He said with a low growl.

"Just keep your cool Rykk; I'd prefer to not have to deal with a disruption." Kaden ordered. "This way," He then led them past the main info desk into a large elevator. Be pushed button for the 244th floor. It took the elevator a minute to reach the floor. When the doors parted they revealed a short hall with two guards. At the end of the hall was a door.

"Hey guys," Kaden waved,

"Hello Chief Ellipse, go right in." One of the guards responded and pushed a button.

Kaden then typed in his code and the door slide aside. Everyone passed through and entered a lab. In the center of the lab was a chair with arm and hand restraints. There was a pair of big, semi-circle tables around the chair; vials, test tubes, needles, and containers of chemicals on them. There were three lombax scientists and they were waiting.

"Hello Chief Ellipse, everything is set." One of the scientist said, she motioned towards the chair. "We just need to know who will go first."

Sly, surprisingly, stepped forward. "I'll go."

Carmelita was more than a tad taken aback. "Wait, what exactly is this going to do to him?"

"You know Hammer?" The female lombax scientist asked.

Carmelita nodded.

"It does what Hammer does though we've made it so that it won't make you extremely; hungry, tired, or energetic. In addition, it will give you one or more superpowers based on genetics. Though, I've never seen your kind, we'll just have to play this by ear. I'm Celesta by the way."

"Celesta is the head scientist of the VIM project. This whole thing is her brain-child." Kaden added.

Celesta smiled proudly at Kaden's words.

Sly sat in the chair. "Hello, I'm Sly. Celesta, how would I know what powers I would get?"

"We'll run a test on you after your injection. It will tell us what powers you will have. Um, one thing sir," The scientist stated, "We need you to remove your hat and mask."

"Oh, sure," Sly gave his hat and mask to Carmelita.

Sly felt the restraints on his arms and legs tighten. Celesta approached with a syringe of a red and white serum. Sly felt a pinch as the needle went into his arm.

The master thief began to tense up as he felt a burning cold rush through his veins and arteries. His muscles clenched and his bones felt like they were being crushed. He yelled, he and everyone in the room was glad that he was restrained. There was a buzzing sensation in his head and that feeling spread to every nerve. It was like that irritating itch you get every now and then, that feeling spread throughout Sly's body. The pain, no torture, lasted for about five minutes but time was lost to Sly.

When it ended Sly was like Kaden after his injection. The serum did make him bigger, heck he gained about five inches in height, but he felt something Kaden didn't; a tingle or expansion in his mind.

"Alright Sly," Celesta started, "We're about to determine what powers you have. Trust me, this'll be nothing compared to what you just felt." At those words the bindings released him. He looked at himself, _nice, could get used to this. But what is that dang tingle?_

Celesta approached Sly with a device that had a short rod with a circular piece of metal at its tip. She gently lowered Sly's head so his chin touched his chest. She then placed the tip on the back of his neck. He yelped as he felt a jarring pinch and the device was removed.

"Okay… let's see what you got… alright… here's the list."

Sly thought and said, "List?"

"Yeah, besides being stronger like a Law Man, you got; short-range teleportation, wall-clinging, and extreme senses. Not bad, you'd be great as a spy. Try "touching" that tingle or extension, that's how you use them. Try it…"

_How do I touch a feeling? Uh…_ Sly felt a rush of energy through his system. Instinctively he imagined himself near Carmelita.

In a puff of grey and black smoke, Sly disappeared and reappeared at Carmelita's side. For the second time that day Carmelita jumped. She moaned, "Oh great, not you too."

It was then Sly began to hear everything, everyone's breathing, their heartbeats, the sounds of electronic equipment, and everything else imaginable. He smelled everything; everyone's scents, the chemicals. Luckily the lab was filtered so he wasn't totally overwhelmed as far as scents. He could also see everything and noticed his vision was able to zoom. He began to panic and clutched his head. He closed his eyes, "Too much! There's too much!"

"Sly, breath, relax, filter out the excess." Celesta stated.

Sly took a deep breath, he was tough, and it took him a few minutes to filter out enough to function. He looked around. "You said wall-clinging?" Sly asked as he walked over to a wall.

"Yep," Celesta answered.

He put his hand on the wall and accessed the extension. He felt his hand stick and he pulled himself up. He placed his other hand on the wall and stuck it. His feet also clung to the wall. Sly began to laugh as he climbed up the smooth, white wall. Soon, he was standing on the high ceiling.

Rykk appeared beside him through the ceiling and stood there as well. "So, I assume you've taken a liking to your new abilities?"

"Heck yes! This is great!" Sly exclaimed and held his arms up.

"Ok, now jump back down." Rykk said before jumping down himself.

Sly was a bit hesitant, the floor was well over forty feet below.

"Don't worry; you're strong enough!" Celesta shouted.

Sly took a deep breath and let go of the ceiling. He flipped in midair and landed on his feet. He barely felt the impact, like he had jumped from at four-foot drop instead of forty.

Sly stretched, "Gotta admit, I've never felt better!" he then teleported a half-dozen times around the room.

Celesta had one last piece of info for Sly. "Like I said, your teleportation is short range, best I can tell; your teleportation is limited to within about a hundred-yard radius or your sight. So if you can see it you can go there, or you can teleport within that radius. Got it?"

Sly nodded, "Got it, now, who's next?"

"I'll go," Carmelita answered. She handed Sly his mask and hat back. "I've always chased you, ringtail." She winked at him as she sat in the chair.

A few, painful minutes later and Celesta checked Carmelita's results. "Let's see… pyrokinesis aka the ability to generate and control fire and lastly, you can absorb most types of energy to heal yourself or others. That doesn't apply to Calamity's Ravage or Rykk's Alter though. However, plasma, radiation, and Dark Radiation are applicable. Dark Radiation though, you must be careful with."

"Why?"

"Because, too much will be detrimental instead of helpful." Celesta stated, "Go ahead, and try it out. Just remember, fire spreads and I'm not a fan of incineration." She remarked.

Carmelita drew a deep breath and held her hands as if she were praying. Soon, a blue flame appeared on her hands. She pulled them apart and the flames split. They soon spread and soon she was covered by the blue tongues of fire.

"Hey Carmelita," Rykk started and she looked at him. He was holding a circle of Alter. "Burn the target!"

She smiled and thrust her right arm forward. A large flame shot from her hand and hit the Alter target. Upon impact, it made a brilliant display of blue light before fading away.

"Now I really like this." She said as the flames around her condensed to one in the palm of her hand. "Now someone get hurt so I can heal you."

Ratchet chuckled, "Boy Sly, she's a handful."

Sly chuckled back, "Yeah, but she's also amazing."

"Now, who will be next?" Celesta asked.

Ratchet stepped forward, "I will go."

Celesta looked at her device and waited for it to process Ratchet's results. Ratchet now matched his dad in both height and size; it looked like they were brothers again.

"Alright… size manipulation, highly resistant skin, and increased reflexes." She read aloud.

"Size manipulation?" Ratchet asked.

Celesta nodded, "Yep, you can shrink down to about a half-inch or grow to around a hundred feet. Please don't grow above twenty feet here please; I'd prefer not to be crushed to death." She remarked. She then tossed him a pair of dark-grey, shorts that were made of a smooth material. "These shorts are made of a special and rare fabric that will grow or shrink with you. Our initial tests of this serum gave us a list of possible powers so we had these and other things made. At least we didn't have to worry about sizing them." She then showed Ratchet to a closet so he could put them on.

Ratchet soon reentered the lab. He focused and envisioned himself smaller.

Everyone watched as Ratchet was engulfed in a brief, bright, yellow flash. When he reappeared he was only about two inches tall.

Rykk was the closest to him. To Ratchet, he, and everyone else, was the size of a mountain. "Huh, well that's neat." Rykk remarked as he kneeled down.

Rykk's voice sounded like thunder and Ratchet quickly turned back to his original size. Ratchet chuckled and looked at his best friend, "Orvus was right, seems like the universe **does** have a sense of humor Clank."

Clank also chuckled, "Yes, no one can give you a hard time about your size anymore."

There was another flash and Ratchet now stood about fifteen feet tall. He didn't move as he didn't want to break anything. His tail was a bit of a problem as it moved without his discretion. It made a few of the scientists duck. "Yeah, I doubt anyone will when they see this." He commented before returning back to normal, much to the scientists' relief. "You also said stronger skin?"

Celesta nodded, "Yep, basic Valkyrie shots, bullets, normal, metal stabbing weapons, acids, and fire will be ineffective or cause minimal damage. Alacrity rounds, extreme fire, and both Calamity's swords and Rykk's blades can do damage or kill though."

"Sly, let's say I know how you feel now." Ratchet began to laugh. _Not some weak, small, puny, furball anymore._

"Next contestant?" Celesta asked.

"I'll go," Bentley stated and wheeled himself to the chair. Celesta and Sly helped him into it.

When his process was complete, he still couldn't move his legs. He was more than a tad disappointed but disappointment turned to happiness when Celesta read his abilities; "Electropathy i.e. the ability to communicate with machines with your mind, bio-electrical transformation, and enhanced code-breaking. Basically you can control any tech with your thoughts and you can turn into electrical impulses and physically enter computers, essentially becoming like Bones or Clank at will."

"So… I can become an A.I.?" Bentley asked.

_Does this answer your question?_ Bones voice echoed in Bentley's mind.

_Bones? How did you?_

_I call it Instrumental Telepathy myself; I use it to communicate with machines. Now, I can chat with you. Hey, try jumping into that computer console to your right._

Bentley turned and saw a device that looked somewhat similar to what he knew as a computer. He focused on it, touching the extension, and he felt himself fly towards it. His body turned into a blue and purple electro bolt and merged into the machine. All it's information flooded his mind. The feeling of all the knowledge felt amazing!

_Bentley, that's enough for now. Come out, _Bones ordered.

Bentley begrudgingly obeyed. He felt powerful inside the machine and didn't really want to withdraw. He reentered his chair. "That was a real rush! All that information so much and instantly! It was sensational! Amazing! Spectacular!"

"You can also hack virtually any system with you enhanced code-breaking." Celesta said, "Just be careful, you can make a lot of friends and even more enemies. I suggest you be careful about who knows your abilities especially." She recommended. "Alright, that leaves two."

Talwyn stepped forward, "Let's see what happens."

Celesta put the tip against Talwyn's neck. Talwyn jumped at the prick.

"Ok… the ability to cast concussive blasts, flight, and short-range situational awareness."

Talwyn repeated and asked, "Awareness?"

"Yes, like a sixth-sense if you will. When you use it, you can sense everyone and everything within about seventy-five feet."

"Hey Talwyn," Rykk created another Altar target. "Blast it,"

She thrust her hand forward and a yellow blast of sound and air flew from her hand. The blast made ripples in the air as it flew and hit the target.

"You also said flight?" Sly asked.

Celesta nodded.

Talwyn focused and began to levitate off the ground. She started laughing as she hovered. "Incredible!" She exclaimed as she made laps in the room's air. She landed chuckling and smiling widely. "I always used tech to fly, but to have it as a part of me? It's terrific!"

"Now that leave you, big guy." Celesta said as she looked at Murray.

Murray punched his palm, "The Murray is ready!"

He took the VIM the easiest out of the group. He flexed his arms as Celesta read her device. "Let's see now… biometal transformation, extraordinary strength, and seismic blasts."

"Biometal? What do you mean?" Murray asked.

"Touch the extension and find out." Celesta said.

Murray concentrated and felt a coolness spread over him.

Sly grinned, "Nice pal."

Murray was encased in shiny metal. He could still express himself and move. "Now this, is, freaking awesome!"

He took a step forward and there was a metallic clank. "So I'm made of metal?"

Celesta nodded, "Yep, it seems unique to you. It's both biological and metallic, so Calamity can't use his Ravage on you."

"What else did you say?"

"You are obviously, incredibly strong, possibly even tying with Rykk here. You can also make seismic blasts but please, test those outside." She asked/ordered.

Murray nodded, "Yes ma'am."

Celesta smiled, her blue eyes shimmered. "You don't know how fascinating this was. If you all would follow me, I will introduce you to the other subjects." The group of now-enhanced beings followed the scientist. She led them to the far side of the lab, through another door. The room past the lab was a lounge with what looked like a TV. Three lombaxes sat watching some show. "Draxis, Fen, Arco, come meet your new friends." Celesta stated.

The three lombaxes were all young and they all wore casual clothes. They eagerly shook the hands of everyone. Except for Rykk of course, only one of them would shake hands with him and showed no hard feelings.

Draxis Cot was the oldest of the trio. He was a good-sized lombax with white fur and crimson stripes. He had yellow eyes with green pupils.

Celesta then told the group a bit about the three. "Draxis can transform into any of the Plain's animals; a Prowler, a Hunter, Flame Drake… you get the idea. That and he can see in the dark. They each have given each other nicknames. Draxis has been monikered Revamp..."

Fen Karanis was a very rare, blood-red furred lombax with golden stripes. His eyes were brown and he was a little bit smaller than Draxis. He was also the youngest of the three and the only one that shook Rykk's hand. On his shoulder was a big, dark brown hawk. It also had crimson highlights in its feather.

"…Fen here control the bird…"

"Her name is Ferra," Fen interrupted and then said lowly, "For the thousandth time."

"…Ok, Ferra, Fen can see and hear through Ferra. Ferra can also divide into multiple smaller birds or even insects. She can be used both as recon and offense. Should Ferra be hurt, she will return to Fen and will enter him to heal. Fen also has impeccable senses and aim with any weapon. He's been nicknamed Arcane."

Arco Domain was in the middle as far as age. She was the tallest of the three and had yellow fur and black stripes. She had crystal blue eyes and a ponytail.

"…Arco can create protective shields around herself or others. Best we can tell they are very resistant but not impenetrable to Ravage or Alter. The guys call her Bastion."

"Well it's nice to have some more freaks like us." Draxis stated in a joking tone. Then eyed Rykk and the tone became one of distaste, "Some more of a freak than others."

Rykk sighed.

Kaden stepped forward, "Guys, I'm taking you all to a private area where you will train for the next week and-a-half." Kaden sighed, "Decagon has insisted that you three accompany the group to Parson."

The trio jumped in excitement and high-fived each other, Draxis exclaimed, "Our first mission!"

Arco was smiling, "Finally! We get some real action!"

Fen leaned against the wall; he just grinned and high-fived Draxis and Arco.

"As of now, you all are under Rykk's command. He'll be teaching you guys."

Upon those words, Draxis and Arco moaned.

"You will do whatever he says. Don't make have you guys separated." Kaden threatened sternly.

Sly saw fear cross both Draxis and Arco's faces, "Uh, n, no sir," Draxis stammered.

Rykk stepped forward, "You three won't have any issues, right?" He said as he leaned close to Draxis' face. His expression was dead cold, like he was looking through Draxis' soul.

"N, n, no,"

Rykk leaned back and the chill left his face. "Good, cause I would prefer to be friends."

"So where are we going?" Sly asked Kaden.

"An old mansion out on the Plain; it has a bunch of space and is unknown to all but me and a select few. So," He then spoke to the trio, "Get set, cause we're leaving soon."

* * *

Wow, a lot of things happened in this chapter. What do you think of; Ebony's demands? the abilities? the plan? Draxis, Arco, and Fen?

Thoughts, ideas, concerns, reviews are all needed and appreciated.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned.


	12. Chapter 12, Work, Play, and

Ok, now this is my longest chapter. It has a decent amount of humor in it but I hope there's enough darkness, action, etc... to balance it. If not, the just look at the chapter's title, the storm clouds are gathering.

Thanks to evil Ratchet96 for all your input and of course your reviews, they have helped out a great deal! Thanks to Katratzi for the review and help, keep it coming! Thanks to airlombax for the review! And thanks to Trekker77 for the review!

Anyways, here's chapter 12!

* * *

Chapter 12, Work, Play, and…

* * *

A few days before…

Harriet Adler sat on a cold, metal chair. She was coming out of a black-out and found that she was bound; her arms tied behind the chair and her feet together. She was in pain from a stab wound in her torso; there was dried blood on her torn, white shirt. She looked up, she was in a spotlight. Beyond its borders was blackness. The young, human female shouted, "Hello?! Is anyone there?!"

She heard moaning and saw another spotlight turn on. It revealed a young, male lombax. He was also bound and tied. "Hello, who are you?" Harriet asked the dazed lombax.

"I'm… I'm Randall, who are you?" He asked. There was also a similar stab wound on his torso.

"Do you know where we are?" She asked.

Randall shook his head no. "Last I remember… I was, in my home reading when… I felt a sharp pain in my side… then… I wake up here. What about you?"

Harriet nodded, "Was about to leave for a party," She was definitely afraid and looked around.

They both jumped as they heard a deep, otherworldly voice ring out from the darkness. "Hello you two, I have brought you here for a simple purpose. Both of you get to be my company this evening. I hope you like blood, because… well… you'll be bleeding, a lot." At those words, their captor stepped into the light.

It was the one known as Calamity; the one she had heard about as a kid, the one that she thought was only myth, the one that had nearly destroyed her hometown of New Elko, the one that tortured and mutilated people for pleasure. His demonic eyes glowed and shifted colors. He also had an equally demonic grin on his face. He chuckled as he approached her.

A kid's song flashed through her mind. She and her friends used to sing it when Calamity was just a scary story. Heck the song's lyrics were meant to scare kids. Now, it's staccato tempo, repetitive lyrics, and upbeat tune terrified her.

_Run from Calamity,_

_Hide from Calamity,_

_Fall by Calamity, he'll get you!_

_He'll go very slow,_

_You'll go very slow,_

_Run from Calamity,_

_Hide from Calamity,_

_Fall by Calamity, he'll get you!_

_Heee, will burn you!_

_Heee, will cut you!_

_Run from Calamity,_

_Hide from Calamity,_

_Fall by Calamity, he'll get you!_

_He'll go very slow,_

_You'll go very slow,_

_Run from Calamity,_

_Hide from Calamity,_

_Fall by Calamity, he'll get you!_

_Heee, will haunt you!_

_Heee, will scare you!_

_Run from Calamity,_

_Hide from Calamity,_

_Die by Calamity,_

_HEEE, WILL, GET, YOU!_

Harriet screamed.

* * *

Present time…

The trip to the mansion took a few hours. Kaden had arranged transport by one of the vehicles Oliver had called an Atmo. Upon first seeing it, Ratchet wondered why the lombaxes had retrogressed to balloons and thrusters. The platform itself was shaped somewhat like a boat. It had two, swept-back wings. At the junction of the wings and craft, were two cylindrical balloons. There was one main thruster at the rear of the craft and three smaller ones on the bottom. The smaller ones could turn and change the direction of the craft.

The pilot of the craft was more than eager to answer the gang's questions about the strange craft.

"Why use balloons? Aren't they dangerous?" Bentley asked.

"Older ones, yes," Their pilot answered. He was a bit older than Rykk and most of the gang but he was younger than Kaden. He was a human/lombax hybrid; around six feet tall, had thin, brown fur all over his body, a lombax tail, and his ears were half the size. His name was Max Racine and was Kaden's private pilot. "But not only are these balloons impervious to Vector, the gas inside is very stable. The benefits are that if the engines fail, we won't crash. That and they provide a very stable platform for hunting and scouting. And the thruster allow us to move quickly."

"Not exactly what I'm used to, but they seem stable enough." Ratchet stated.

"Yeah, been flying this one for the past five years; your dad's a good employer, been working for him for three. From now on, I'll be taking you guys wherever you are needed."

During the flight, the group mingled with the new trio of lombaxes.

"So, you guys just got the VIM; hey Ratchet, what can you do?" Draxis asked. Ratchet was sitting in the seat across a table from him. Currently, the conversation consisted of Ratchet, Draxis, Fen, Sly, and Carmelita. Bentley, Murray, Talwyn, and Arco were sitting at another table in the Atmo's galley. Rykk, Atlas, Leo, and Kaden were sitting at another.

"Besides having tough skin, I can shrink down to the size of a bug, or I can grow up to a hundred feet!" Ratchet responded. He moved his hands and finger to emphasize what he said.

Draxis chuckled, "Not bad bro, guess you really haven't gotten the chance to be that big yet."

Ratchet shook his head, "Nope, but I'm dying to. I plan on trying it when we get to the mansion. My dad said it's remote and open."

Fen looked at Sly but had forgotten his name, "What about you, um?"

"Sly,"

"Sorry,"

"It's alright, well, I can…" Sly then vanished and appeared, standing, in the walkway next to the table.

The sight made Draxis say, "Awesome."

Fen just smiled.

Sly then teleported back into his seat "Can also climb on walls and ceilings."

"And you Ms.?" Draxis asked.

Carmelita smirked, "I can create fire. But I promised not to show it on board."

Draxis nodded, "Understandable."

The flight lasted for about three hours but it was smooth. They jumped off the craft and saw the Victorian-style mansion. It had four stories and was made of grey stone and dark wood. It looked a bit worn but not run down. Behind the house was a canyon and to one side was a tall plateau. The mansion also had a garden in the back.

"Now this place is nice, looks more like what we're used to Sly." Bentley said as he wheeled towards it.

"Looks like a big shack to me," Arco commented.

"It's nice inside," Kaden remarked as he opened the door. The interior had dark drown wood floor, it seemed typical of Agrona. The windows allowed the warm sunlight and gave the place a cozy feeling. In the main welcome area there was a large, grand staircase. The welcome area was an atrium that opened up three of the home's four floors.

"Not bad dad," Ratchet remarked.

"Thanks, everyone go take a look around. There are plenty of bedrooms; they're on the second and third floors. I found this place years ago, had in renovated as a vacation home and a place for friends. You have this evening to settle; because tomorrow, I'm no longer in charge, Rykk is."

Kaden then said to Rykk, "Theo, Nai, and Phil will be at Velocity, protecting the other chiefs, just in case."

Rykk nodded, "Good move."

* * *

At those words everyone scattered; Ratchet, Talwyn, Sly, Carmelita, Bentley, Murray, Draxis, Arco, and Fen, all ran to claim their rooms.

Sly simply teleported to the second story and opened a door.

Inside was Rykk, sitting on a bed with his arms crossed and a grin on his face, "Yeah, find another." He remarked and Sly growled.

Sly took off down the hall and soon found one that was unoccupied. Except for a small case of clothes that Terry had given him and his cane, Sly only had the clothes he was wearing. So he didn't spend really any time packing.

He decided to explore the place and set what little he had on the bed to mark it as taken. He stepped out onto the walkway and teleported to the ground floor. _Well, let's see, where do I go first?_

* * *

Ratchet bolted up the stairs. He saw Sly teleport and Talwyn fly up to the second story. _Cheaters,_ he thought and growled. He soon found out that the mansion had at least fifteen bedrooms, so it wasn't a small place.

He was about to go into a room when someone cut in front of him and shoved him back. "Sorry," it was Arco.

Ratchet growled again but soon found an unclaimed room on the third floor. Like the others, he didn't have much. He didn't even have his wrench; he had lost it in the fight with Calamity.

He decided to take a look outside. He put his special pair of shorts on and a casual blue shirt. They didn't really match but he was dying to fully try out his new abilities.

As Ratchet made his way down the main stairs he passed his dad.

Kaden saw that his son was wearing the special shorts. "Ratchet, if you want to try out your new abilities, go out the front of the house. It's mostly all flat and empty land. I'd come, but I've got some things to work out here. But I can come out in a bit."

Ratchet nodded, said thanks, and made his way out the front door. He walked until he was about a quarter-mile away before finding a rock to lay his shirt on. He took some steps away from the rock and, closed his eyes, then breathed deeply. He focused on the extension and visualized what he wanted as best he could. He felt that strange sensation that told him he was changing. The sensation came and went in nearly an instant and Ratchet opened his eyes.

Ratchet saw far onto the Plain. The crimson ground was far below his eyelevel. The feeling of height and the rushing of the cool evening breeze upon his fur felt invigorating. He looked back at the mansion. It now looked like a kids' play set. The mansion was around sixty feet tall at its highest point.

Ratchet strode over to it; it only took him a few steps. The highest point on the mansion was the peak of a turret. That peak ended between Ratchet's chest and stomach. _Huh, this feels so weird and yet, awesome at the same time._ He thought as he, gently, touched the peak. His finger was now the size of the turret.

Ratchet's approach was heard and felt by everyone in the house. Alas, there was an uninformed caretaker outside the house when Ratchet approached it. She looked straight up and was staring at Ratchet's torso. He didn't notice the terrified caretaker; he was hunched over, fiddling with a weathervane. She was frozen, that is until he happened to look down and saw her. He smiled in a friendly manner but it didn't matter. The poor human screamed before running into the mansion.

Ratchet felt both embarrassed and entertained by her. Like a kid playing a prank. A minute later most of the group, led by Kaden came outside.

Ratchet took two steps back. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare her like that."

Kaden smirked, "I know you didn't, I was making rounds telling the servants not to freak if they saw a giant lombax. Looks like I missed one."

Rykk was smiling, "You should've seen her face when she came running in. She swore that you were going to kill her!" He finished his statement laughing. Rykk's laughter made everyone pause, it was one of the few times they heard a real laugh from him.

Draxis muttered, "Freak."

Ratchet grinned as Talwyn flew up to his eyelevel. She hovered a few feet from his nose, "Must say Ratchet, I think I like you this big."

Ratchet smiled as she kissed him on the cheek.

Talwyn then landed on his shoulder, "C'mon big guy, let's go for a walk."

Ratchet then noticed the looks he was getting from Fen, Draxis, Sly, and, well, all the guys in the group. He shook his head, turned so that he faced the wide open Plain, and he began to walk. His footfalls echoed through the ground.

* * *

"Man that guy's lucky," Draxis stated after Ratchet and Talwyn left. He turned back towards the mansion. As he did, he shoved brashly past Rykk before approaching Sly. "Hey Sly, we found a Sine Ball, want to play?"

Rykk growled at the shove but otherwise didn't respond. He just headed back inside the mansion.

Sly was a bit shocked at Draxis' move. "Uh… how do you play?"

"We'll explain the rules," Fen stated, "It isn't hard. There's two teams and they stand about fifty yards apart. Then they hit the ball. The ball cannot hit the ground between the teams and you score points whenever the other team allows the ball to drop."

_Sounds similar to volleyball, only without a net and space between the teams._ Sly thought. He shrugged, "Sure, I'm game."

The Sine Ball was about the size of a volley ball but its surface was more akin to a football or basketball. It was also a dark blue color, its color made it stand out against the ground and sky.

Draxis was the leader of one team and Fen was the leader of the other. Draxis' team consisted of; Arco, Atlas, and Carmelita. Fen's team's members were; Sly, Leo, and Kaden. Bentley and Murray decided to watch for most of the game as they both felt it unfair for either of them to play. Besides, the game was entertaining.

Typically Sine games would go till a team got twenty-five points. However this game, the score was quickly forgotten as everyone was just enjoying the fun.

Eventually Kaden was called inside the mansion by one of the caretakers. He had a call from one of the other chiefs.

"Hey Murray, take my spot!" Kaden shouted as he ran inside. "Don't worry, you'll do fine!"

Fen and his team waved for Murray to join them and serve the Sine Ball. Bentley also encouraged him to join in.

Though reluctant because of his strength, Murray conceded and took the ball. He tossed it up in the air and hit it.

* * *

Ratchet and Talwyn had been chatting while he walked. She enjoyed sitting on his warm, furry shoulder. "Y'know Ratchet, if it weren't for Calamity and this Ebony, this world would be actually nice."

She was right; the sun was beginning to set. It set the yellow sky ablaze with blue, violet, and pink colors. The crimson ground also added color and was beginning to cool.

Ratchet sighed, Talwyn felt it, "Yeah, in some ways it reminds me of Fastoon." He said as he turned back towards the mansion. He felt nervous as he wanted to tell Talwyn how much she meant to him. "Talwyn, I, I care about you, a lot, and I wanted to thank you for helping me find out about the lombaxes."

She smiled; his words put warmth in her heart. "Ratchet, I care about you to, I love you…"

What she said both semi-stunned him and too made his heart warm.

"…and I can't tell you how amazing it having you reunited with your people, with your family." She reached up and stroked the fur on his cheek.

"Thanks Tal, I don't know how I survived without you."

She chuckled, "Well, I almost did kill you, y'know?"

Ratchet laughed, "Yeah, and you called me dumb after that."

She smirked and crossed her arms, "I said that Clank was the smart one, never said anything about you being dumb."

"Ha!..." As soon as he exclaimed, Ratchet felt something hit the back of his throat. Instinctively he swallowed whatever it was. It also made him lightly cough once or twice. He pounded his chest with his fist to help the object move.

"Ratchet, you ok?" Talwyn asked with concern.

Ratchet nodded, "Yeah, a bird or something flew in my mouth. I'm alright though."

Talwyn recoiled slightly, "So… you just swallowed a bird?"

Ratchet carefully shrugged, "If it was a bird, yes; didn't have a chance to do anything else."

Talwyn put on a slightly sad face, "Poor birdie." She said pitifully.

Ratchet, being Ratchet, decided to mess with her a bit. "Well, it could've at least been a bit bigger. Y'know, something a bit more filling," He said with a smirk.

Talwyn slapped him, "Oh, stop that you!"

Within a few more steps they arrived back at the mansion. Ratchet was about to change back when he noticed everyone was scattered, looking for something.

He asked, "Hey, whatcha all looking for?"

Sly shouted, "We were playing a ballgame when Murray slammed the ball into the sky! Now we can't find it anywhere!"

Ratchet gulped and blushed slightly as he guessed what had happened.

Talwyn also guessed as to the ball's location and did her best not to laugh. She flew down to the scattered gang. "Guys, I think I know where your ball is." She stated grinning wider than ever.

"Where is it?" Draxis asked.

Talwyn simply pointed at Ratchet. "I think he swallowed it by accident."

Draxis sighed and rubbed his face. "How do you figure that?"

"We were walking and talking when he started to laugh. He stopped and I heard a gulp followed by some coughing. I didn't see anything come out when he coughed and he thought it was a bird."

Fen couldn't help but snicker at the news, as did everyone else who heard it.

"Sorry guys, I didn't know, and couldn't help it." Ratchet said, _why does it seem like I have the worst luck in the universe? Is there like a "kick me!" sign on my back?_

Rykk was standing nearby and looked at Talwyn. "So, your boyfriend…" He chuckled, "Really, you guys are too much." He then sighed, "Well, I can find out if he did or not. Man, I really ought to get paid for this." Rykk mumbled the last sentence. He then shouted to Ratchet, "Don't change back until I say, ok?!"

Ratchet nodded, the yellow fur on his cheeks had a pink hue.

Rykk then flew towards the embarrassed, giant lombax. "Now Ratchet, just stay still, ok?" Rykk's pupils then began to glow yellow. He flew straight towards Ratchet and vanished through the fur.

Ratchet was now even more embarrassed and confused. He felt a strange tingle in his belly and felt movement in it, _really Rykk? Couldn't I have just coughed it up or something?_

Ratchet ears heard Rykk speaking, albeit he was muffled. "Giant yellow furball just had to be standing in the wrong place..."

Ratchet growled; the sound reverberated inside the dark and slimy cavern, "Just hurry, this feels weird!"

"I'm not exactly having the time of my life either!" Rykk shouted back; he was more irritated than disgusted. With everything he's been through and seen, trying to find a ball inside Ratchet's stomach was relatively easy.

It was about a minute later when Rykk reappeared through the yellow fur. In his hand was the Sine Ball; albeit it was covered in saliva and digestive enzymes. Rykk was too, for a moment. He flashed some Alter across his body which burned away the slime and grime. He then did the same to the ball.

Rykk shook his head and tossed the ball to Fen. "Gotta say Ratchet, was wondering what kind of situations you were gonna get in with this power. Though, didn't think I'd be seeing this side of you, or should I say, **in**side." He said and Talwyn rolled her eyes.

Ratchet returned to normal size. He was still blushing.

Everyone was heading inside the mansion; it was starting to get dark.

Sly walked up to Ratchet, "Hey, don't be upset, we're just messing; ya gotta admit, it was funny."

Ratchet relented and chuckled, "Yeah I guess it was kind of funny."

Sly grinned he knew what would get Ratchet perked up. "Hey Ratchet, you know before training starts tomorrow, we have to have our rematch."

It worked, Ratchet grinned and his ears rose. "You're on,"

"Wait, what kind of rematch are you guys talking about?" Draxis asked. He had overheard the last part.

The competitive duo told Draxis about the contest. He responded by laughing. "Any way I can get in on the action?"

Ratchet and Sly both shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

"I'll jump in too, if it's ok?" The three were a bit surprised when they heard Fen speak.

"Really Fen? Didn't think you liked this kinda thing?" Draxis asked.

Fen shrugged, "I like to have fun. Figured that'll end tomorrow, so… can I?"

They nodded and found Rykk. He agreed to judge.

* * *

The dark entity known as Ebony was strolling casually through the ruins of Parson, her staff hit the cold, hard ground with each step. The sphere on top of the staff cast a bright, green glow. _Wonder what those idiots are doing. Probably goofing off, if my hunch is correct, they're playing around with whatever powers they have. Those poor, simple fools; no matter if they spend their time playing around or training, they won't be ready._ She smiled; she couldn't wait for them to come.

She walked into an old storehouse. It used to hold food, clothes, and weapons but all those were gone now. Its walls were made of stone and metal. The stone was cracked and the metal rusted. Looking at it, you wouldn't think it was anything special. Nothing noteworthy compared to the rest of the ruined, crumbling city. On the shelves rested objects that were more of an enigma than food, clothes, and weapons. There were dozens of spheres, all of them black with red and white streaks swirling on their surfaces.

Ebony strode down the aisle, she admired her collection. Their energy seeped out and made her feel strong. Despite the fact they all looked the same; she could tell the differences between them.

She picked one up and held it. Its surface was so smooth; it cast a soft white glow. "Get ready my pets," Ebony crooned, "Soon we'll have company."

* * *

In a short time, the four competitors were around a table in the large kitchen. Each one had a liter of Prime. The rest of the group decided to watch; even the girls. Not that they really enjoyed the competition, but they wanted to cheer their boyfriends on (Yes, Draxis and Arco were a couple). The competitors drew straws to see who would go first, that honor fell to Fen. He chugged a quarter of his liter down before unleashing.

After Fen went Sly.

After Sly went Ratchet.

After Ratchet went Draxis.

This cycle repeated four times. Each round the belches got bigger, louder, and longer. The laughter from the onlookers and participants echoed throughout the mansion.

It was late by the time they had finished and Rykk announced the winner. "I'd say the winner is… Fen!"

Fen just leaned back and belched again just for the heck of it. "Urp! Ah man, it feels good to be the king!" The red lombax stretched his arms. It seemed being the youngest in the whole group didn't stop him (Fen was around seventeen).

Draxis chuckled, he felt like his stomach was an ocean of Prime. "Gotta admit, I'm impressed Fen."

"You did pretty well yourself… I guess." Arco added before shaking her head and sighing, "Boys…"

Sly looked at Rykk, "Hey, between me and Ratchet, which was better?"

Rykk shook his head, "Sorry Sly, Ratchet got ya this time."

Ratchet laughed and exclaimed, "And the master thief goes down!" He also lightly punched Sly on the arm.

Talwyn laughed, "You guys are so immature," Then she turned to Ratchet, "But maybe that's why I like you."

Sly grunted, "Ah well, this was a lot of fun."

Carmelita giggled, "Oh you ringtail, what will I do with you?"

Sly shrugged, "Well, I've got a few suggestions."

Rykk stood up, "Guys, it's been a great evening but I strongly suggest going to bed soon. We'll be getting up early and you'll need the rest." With that he left. Kaden and Leo followed.

"E' told me what e's plannin'," Atlas started, "Oi suggest ya'll young-ins git ta sleep soon."

"Hey Atlas, what do you think about him killing Arctan?" Draxis asked. The sudden turn to a serious subject caught most at the table off-guard. "You think he should pay for it?"

Atlas shook his head, "No, why ya askin' about dat now?"

Draxis shrugged, "Just curious."

"Hey, Oi'm a Law Man, don't loie ta me; why ya askin?"

"Just trying to figure him out," Draxis sighed. "Arctan was my uncle."

_Ah that why he especially doesn't like Rykk. _Sly thought.

"Oh, Oi'm sorry,"

"Doesn't mean we got along but family is family." Draxis stated with a bit of anger and sadness.

Atlas paused thinking about what to say next. "Well, Oi'd say your anger es better spent on Calamity. However, if ya don't, den, Oi'd say try ta put your anger asoide. At least until dis mission es done, trust me, ya don't want ta backtalk Rykk. Dat es, unless ya want a beatin', ten go ahead."

Draxis got up, "Alright, see you guys in the morning."

Everyone began to make their way back to their rooms.

* * *

It was late and Ebony stood amidst the ruins of Parson. The city was dark and quiet; none of its ghastly residents bothered her. She liked it that way. She liked being on top, having those monsters under her control felt good. As she walked she kept her chin up high. For two reasons, her curved, black horns were a bit heavy on her head but the the main reason was because she felt like the apex predator. Everyone feared her.

The bright green light from the moon shone on the ruins.

Ebony was in an old church; its stone walls were cracked liked the storehouse's. She was relaxing on a carved-out, stone throne. The throne overlooked a big, circular arena. Her staff was in her hand and propped up against the arm of the throne. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She then appeared as a dream to her contact. It was the same as what she had done to Ratchet. Again she stood in the colorless forest. She kept her full, detailed appearance hidden by a bright light behind her. "Well, what are your friends capable of?"

The contact was shaking a bit. "You, you promise you won't hurt her?"

"You know the deal." Ebony stated, "You tell me what they can do, and I'll make sure you two are unharmed."

Ebony's contact was very much afraid of her and Ebony reveled in it.

"W, well, one of us can shoot fire…"

* * *

Luckily, everyone slept well. That is, until either Kaden, Rykk, Atlas, or Leo came knocking. If you didn't answer, well they found a way to wake you.

Once everyone was up, Rykk had them line up out in front of the house. Except for Bentley, he was going to be training with Bones and Clank. He was being taught how to hack systems, build firewalls, and to store and retrieve data. He was also going to learn how to build and repair the local tech, gear, and weapons.

The rest stood out in dark, cool, early morning. Rykk stood before them and was smiling. "Good morning everyone, now, in case you do not know, I will explain our mission. In the dark city of Parson an entity known as Ebony wants Chief Ellipse to meet her. She wanted us to protect him from Parson's inhabitants, that's why I'm here. Parson is a haunted, dangerous city. Probably the most dangerous place on this cursed world. That and on the high probability that Ebony is antagonistic, we need to be in top form. So, I hope you like training. Cause me, Leo, and Atlas… we love it!" Rykk smiled smugly as he said the last sentence. "I thought we'd start today with a short run, get the blood flowing." Rykk spotted the look of anger on Draxis' face. He noted it and continued, "So everyone this way."

With that Rykk led the group on a fast, twenty-mile run. The rock formations were tall and haunting. The group ran the twenty in an hour, even Murray.

Everyone in the group was breathing hard (except for Rykk) and sweaty but ok.

"Well that was nice," Rykk said as he stretched his arms. "Now, I have a simple goal for all of you." He took a few steps away from the group. "Hit me, no powers though, for me or you; just hand-to-hand."

"All of us? At once?" Arco asked.

Rykk nodded.

Atlas and Leo were standing off to the side. They were ready to watch the chaos.

Everyone looked at each other before charging. The first to reach Rykk was Draxis. But it really didn't matter who reached him when. Each one was lying on the ground in a few minutes time. Rykk was smooth and fast. But they were strong, so they all got up quickly. They moaned as they stood up.

"Next, I do some one-on-one training and fighting." Rykk stated before nodding to Atlas and Leo. They approached the group. "Sly, you're first. The rest of you, do whatever they say."

Sly and Rykk walked a ways to the canyon behind the mansion. They made their way to the bottom of the canyon.

As they walked Rykk mentioned, "Hey, Bones and Clank, with some help from Bentley, will be building you a new, stronger staff. Don't worry; they won't be touching your original. They're making a new one."

"So it can hurt Calamity?"

"Yeah, that and hopefully Ebony. It should be done in about two days. When it's done we'll train with it."

It was a short time later when they reached the spot Rykk had picked.

"Alright Sly, we're going to fight but you can use your powers. The rules are just like last time; hit me." Rykk motioned with his hands "come get me".

Sly grinned, "Let's do this."

Sly and Rykk then faced each other, each in his own stance. Sly made the first move and teleported away. He reappeared on the side of the canyon wall.

Rykk's sensed where he was and fired a nonlethal bolt of Alter.

Sly then teleported in front of Rykk, as soon as he appeared he threw a kick. He aimed it at Rykk's leg.

Rykk grabbed Sly's leg and threw him.

Sly teleported in midair,

Ultimately, that's how most of the fight went.

Sly was unable to score a direct hit but he got thrown, hit, kicked, and/or pinned in each of his attempts.

"You've got a good skill, but you've got to be unpredictable." Rykk stated during their final round.

Sly teleported behind Rykk and tried to hit his back.

As usual though, he failed. Rykk did a leg sweep and knocked Sly onto his back. Sly was bruised and panting as Rykk sat on him. Rykk looked down at the thief's face. "Like I said, predictable, be more erratic. You're good in hand-to-hand, figure there's little I can teach you there. Later on today, we'll see just how stealthy you are." With that, Rykk helped Sly to his feet and they walked back.

They found the group being led through various drills by Atlas and Leo. They were walking around and watching the group as they were doing pushups. If they saw something they didn't like, they called the person out. "Jump in," Rykk ordered and Sly joined the group. "Ratchet! You're up!" Rykk shouted and he came.

"Man, those guys are brutal." He said as he stretched his arms.

As they walked away, they could hear Leo shouting to the group to begin a new drill.

"They have to be, better get used to it. Hey, got some news that'll make you happy."

"What?"

"Bones, Clank, and Bentley are gonna be building you a new wrench; one that will be able to hurt Calamity. Should be done in a couple days, we'll train with it when you get it."

Ratchet smiled, "That's awesome! I gotta say, I miss holding it, not just as a weapon, used it to build many things." He remembered building his first ship.

Rykk took him to the same spot he took Sly, "Ratchet; right now I want you to stay your normal size. You see, when you're a giant, well, there's little to teach. I will do what I can in that area soon, but the more pressing need is to teach you good hand-to-hand. Understand?"

Ratchet was somewhat disappointed but got it. "Yeah, but I will get to train with my power soon?"

Rykk nodded, "Yep, later today, hit me!"

Ratchet, used to guns and a wrench in his hand, wasn't quite used to pure hand-to-hand. So, needless to say, he was beat pretty bad. They only went two rounds before Rykk decided to show him some moves.

"This is a move from a martial art called Wing Chun, though I can't remember the name. Now, throw a punch." Rykk stated.

Ratchet did.

Rykk quickly spun his hands. He knocked the punch downward with one hand and with the other performed a counterattack. He didn't hit Ratchet, but stopped less than an inch from his forehead.

"Think of your hands like a spinning wheel."

Ratchet copied the spinning motion, it wasn't a hard movement but it was fast. It was also the last of six moves Rykk went over with him.

"Practice these moves and you'll do fine."

"Thanks,"

"Time to go back," Rykk said as they headed back.

One by one, Rykk fought, studied, and taught his students. Each one required different teaching and instruction. He found their weaknesses and taught them how to improve them.

For example, Murray's advantage was his strength, but one of his weaknesses was the tendency to get tunnel vision. He tended to focus on only one target and not pay attention to what was going on around him. And Talwyn had the opposite problem, she thought too much. It would slow her down and Rykk did his best to help correct it.

When Rykk got to Draxis, he asked, "What do you want to say to me?"

Draxis was silent.

Rykk shook his head, "We need to get this out of the way. Tell me,"

Draxis looked away, "Why'd you kill my uncle?"

Rykk sighed, "You mean Arctan?"

Draxis nodded.

"Why do you think?"

"I thought it was because you were a lunatic."

Rykk nodded, "I was…"

Rykk's response got Draxis' attention, it wasn't what he expected.

"…being possessed by Calamity made me a lunatic. Part of me, the human part, not the Being, could only watch. Yes I was hurt, yes I was angry; yes I hated him, but I would not have murdered him." Rykk's eyes became wet. "I was horrified,"

Draxis, still angry, softened his expression slightly. "He and I got along, though, we weren't close, nor were we distant. Still, he was family. I just, can't see him trying to have a bunch of kids killed."

"No, you can't. Family does that, it blinds you from truth. Look, if I could bring him back, I would. But I think it better if we focused on Ebony and Calamity, agreed?"

Draxis wiped some tears away. "Yeah, now what are you gonna teach me?"

As far as the best hand-to-hand fighter, that honor fell to Sly. The one that came closest to taking Rykk down with his powers was Fen.

You see, Ferra, Fen's hawk, was unlike anything Rykk had encountered before. Not only was she psychically connected to Fen, she could change forms; from the big hawk she stayed most of the time, to a pair of crows, to a swarm of hornets. As long it had wings and was the same in mass as the hawk, she could turn into it. Fen had the habit of turning her into a swarm of hornets to distract his foe and then attack.

It was a good tactic but Rykk was more experienced. Even without Ferra, Fen was great in hand-to-hand. Of the trainees, only Sly was better.

After Rykk finished going through each one, he sent them inside for breakfast.

When they finished, they went on another run, this time ten miles. Rykk changed things up a bit by stopping at random and made them spar one another.

When they got back, Rykk resumed the one-on-one teaching. The others were still being drilled by Leo and Atlas. Though friends, they had no problem calling you out if you failed or tried to just get by.

This continued until the evening. Then they had dinner and then they all, as a team, did a few all-out rounds against Rykk, powers and all.

The final round and only; Ratchet, Carmelita, Sly, Arco, and Fen were still standing.

Rykk saw Ratchet try to swat him with his huge hand. Rykk jumped over it, ran up his arm, and fired a stunning blast of Alter into the forty-foot tall lombax. The blow made him fall back and he held his head. He was down.

Rykk landed and shielded himself from a fiery blast. He flew around Carmelita as she fired blue flames at him. She made sure the flames weren't hot enough to damage but hot enough to feel. Rykk flew up into the air and dove towards her. He created a shield of Alter and was safe from the blue flame. He then used his Alter to fire a blast of wind at her. The blast knocked her into a boulder and stunned her. She was down.

Rykk sensed something behind him. He spun and blocked a punch from Sly. They then began a very quick exchange of blows and blocks. The exchanged lasted for a minute. Both exhibited extraordinary reflexes, flexibility, and athleticism. Sly got a break and teleported. Rykk guessed where he was going to reappear and threw a kick to his right. The kick connected and sent Sly back. He was down.

Arco and Fen stood underneath a glowing, red energy shield Arco was generating. Fen pointed at Rykk and Ferra flew at him. She turned into a swarm of bees as she flew. Rykk covered himself in Alter and the bees' stings did nothing to him as he approached the shield. Fen charged him. He went down shortly, as did Arco.

While everyone got up, Rykk stated, "You guys did well for the first day. Go get some rest, cause tomorrow is another day of training."

And so it went for most of the week. On the fifth day, Bentley presented Sly with his new cane, and Clank gave Ratchet his new wrench.

Sly, though initially skeptical, was impressed by the cane. The new cane was basically the same in shape and weight as the old. However, it had a darker grey shaft and the curved head was now black with dark grey edges. When activated, the edges would glow bright yellow and could deliver either a concussive blast or an electrical shock. Sly twirled the cane around a bit, "Not bad, it feels just like mine! I trust you'll keep that safe?" He asked Bentley.

Bentley nodded, "No problem Sly, I can put it in a safe here. The safe is impenetrable and I'll give you the combo. Also, I put an energy tether device in it. That way, you can grapple things outside your reach."

"Bentley, you are awesome!" Sly said as he pointed the staff at a rock. He shot a yellow beam and the rock levitated off the ground. He brought it within his reach and grabbed it with his free hand.

"It isn't as strong as Ravage or Alter, so don't count on it to pick up things bigger than a basketball." Bentley warned.

Sly smiled, "Ah, thanks Bentley."

Clank used his built-in energy tether to carry and give the new wrench to Ratchet. He was like a little kid at Christmas time.

It was in size and shape similar to the Omniwrench. It had a different look though as it was mostly dark grey and had highlights of crimson. On the wrench's head was the same, lighter grey metal that was on Sly's cane. When activated it did glow a bright green.

"Wow Clank, this feels great!" He performed a few practice swings with it.

Clank's avatar nodded. "You are welcome; the wrench has a few different tricks. For one, it has extendable blades on the edges of the head."

Ratchet extended the inch-long blades. They too glowed green. "Neat,"

"When the blades aren't extended, the wrench will deliver an energy blast. It can also deliver a pulse of energy over a short distance."

Ratchet held his new toy out. He pointed its head at a boulder. He felt a blast of recoil as he fired a green pulse from the wrench. The pulse left a burn mark/crater on the stone.

"Now, this is a wrench, this is amazing!"

"I have one last thing for you Ratchet," Clank said and summoned an item from his own, internal Utility. He then gave it to Ratchet. The item was a bracelet that had a single, Utility square on it. The bracelet's band felt like his special shorts. "Yes, it is the same material as your shorts. That way you can store your wrench when you grow or shrink. I was also able to weave in some special metal fibers so that it'll be nearly indestructible."

Ratchet chuckled, "Clank, you're a genius. I can't wait to try this out!"

So, the next day Rykk started sparring them with weapons. He used nonlethal, training versions of his Tonfa blades and they used their weapons but they weren't activated.

The rigorous training did show results by the end of the week and a half. While they weren't dramatic, each person had a firm grasp of their abilities and how to use them. Each of them, at one point, scored one hit on Rykk. They also began to function better as a team and came up with ways to combine their powers.

The time went fast and before they knew it, it was time to board the Atmo for Parson.

* * *

Of all the chapters I've written (ok except for the third chapter where Rykk is introduced and maybe one more) I haven't looked forward to writing a chapter more than the upcoming one.

Thoughts, ideas, and reviews are greatly appreciated,

Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Jerod2447


	13. Chapter 13, Melancholy

Whew, seems like my chapters are getting longer, and they're getting darker to.

Anyways, this has been the chapter I've been wanting to write for a long time.

Thanks again to evil Ratchet96 for the input and reviews, keep it up! Also thanks to Katratzi for their input and reviews and to Trekker77 for their reviews.

Anyways, can't wait to see what you all think about this.

* * *

Chapter 13 …Melancholy,

* * *

The flight to Parson lasted for three hours. Everybody was chatty except for the older crew.

"Kaden," Leo started, "To Ebony this is personal. Chances are she means you harm."

Kaden nodded, "Yeah probably, but if she just wanted me dead why didn't she just kill me in the court?"

"Like Leo said," Rykk answered, "It's personal. She wants to do this on her terms and that's got my tail twitchy." Rykk sighed as he saw the eager group chatting away. They were either new to the world or new to combat. Both options weren't good; for them, or the group at large. "Unfortunately we are at the disadvantage here. We have little knowledge about Ebony, we're meeting in the most dangerous place on this world, and we have a bunch of newbs."

"What do you guys think of Ebony?" Kaden asked Leo, Atlas, and Rykk.

Atlas answered first, "When Oi was after a bandit around two years ago Oi stopped en a bar. Oi overheard some men an' lombaxes talkin' about a witch in te forest. Oi jumped ento te conversation. Tey said tey heard a woman's sinister laugh and dere she was. Two of tem saw a figure move trough de trees. Te only ting tey could see was dat et was a lombax she 'ad two horns. Oi tought de story was a myth. Not until de court anyways."

"Well," Rykk said, "She can teleport, command lightning and green fire, and has some kind of telepathy. Lord knows what else she can do."

"We have a wildcard to," Kaden said, "A bunch of them. She may know you Rykk, but these guys will be a surprise."

A few hours later Max landed the Atmo a quarter of a mile from the dead city's outskirts.

"So how far is it to Parson's square?" Ratchet asked.

"Five miles give or take." Rykk stated as he looked at the city. The buildings were a combination of stone, metal, and wood. Most buildings were in pieces and crumbling and were reminiscent of the Victorian era. The city was grey with a hint of cold blue. A thick layer of clouds hung over the city, blocking most of the sun. "A good thing about Hammer and VIM, they've made you all immune to the Dark Radiation. Otherwise you'd all be dead or mutated within an hour."

"Mutated to what?" Talwyn asked.

"No idea…" Rykk responded as he stepped forward and entered the city. "Tread light and quick, we don't want to draw attention."

The city was quiet as the group entered. It was also cold, it's ground was a grey/blue instead of crimson the clouds made them almost forget it was daytime.

Ratchet clutched his wrench, the stillness was unsettling.

Sly held his staff at the ready, his ears craned for any sound outside the group. He sniffed the air and smelled dirt, metal, but couldn't pick up anything else.

Rykk had his Tonfa swords out; he showed little emotion, no fear, just determination.

Talwyn was ready to blast anything that got too close.

Carmelita held her hands out in front of her, ready to shoot blue flame.

Atlas held his Vector revolver, scanning the area.

Leo had his Vector shotgun at his side.

Bones and Bentley were told to stay behind.

Clank was allowed to come; he hovered close to Ratchet and had a small arc caster in his device.

Draxis had changed into his Prowler form. Though he was shaped like a Prowler; Draxis' fur color and eye color was the as when he was a lombax.

Fen had Ferra flying near the group. Through her, he was scouting the area. He held a pair of straight, short swords.

Arco was armed with a wrench similar to Ratchet's though it had blue highlights on the metal.

Kaden held a double ended wrench similar to Alistair's. He stood in the center of the group and everyone stayed close.

As they walked Sly asked, "Why would anyone want to come here?" His voice was a whisper.

"Te Dark Radiation Cores," Atlas answered, his voice too was quiet. "Tey are wort a'lotta money. Dat an' te energy tey shed es powerful."

"Isn't the radiation what keeps this place desolate?" Ratchet asked.

"Yeah," Leo answered, "The amount one core leaks isn't enough to do this. Parson had/has a vault that held dozens, if not hundreds of cores. When Calamity destroyed the city, the cores were scattered and the combined Dark Radiation leakage over the years has made Parson into this."

They had walked about a mile in when Sly heard something. It was footsteps. He looked in the direction but saw nothing.

_Ring around… the Rosie…_

Everyone froze as they heard a woman slowly, and hauntingly sing.

"What the heck is that?" Arco whispered to Leo.

_A pocket… full… of posies…_

The voice echoed through the quiet, creepily empty, and wrecked streets. The group began to move, slowly closer to the interior of the city.

_Ashes… ashes… we all… fall… down!_

Out of the corner of her eye, Carmelita saw a glimpse of a white figure.

_Ring around… the Rosie…_

Sly's pulse quickened. "Can Ferra see anything Fen?" Fen shook his head.

_What… do you… suppose we…?_

Leo spotted a figure with a long, white rob vanish behind a building.

_Can do… to fight… the daaarkness… in which… we… drown…?_

The last phrase shook Draxis' nerves more than a little. His Prowler tail quivered.

_Ring around… the Rosie…_

Fen tried to even-out and slow his breathing. Murray was visibly shaking and quivering his fists.

_This evil thing… it knnoooowwwss me…_

Rykk, though not outwardly showing anything, was shaking on the inside. Kaden's eyes were darting around trying to see the source of the creepy singing.

_Lost ghosts… surround me…_

All eyes darted towards the front of the group, down the road they were on. The last line came from that direction. When they saw the source, everyone, and I mean everyone, was frozen with fear.

Standing down the road was a woman with a trailing, white robe. Skin was a blue/grey color and she had long black hair that slowly turned white at its end. Her arms were down and she just stood still. Her head was down and they could not see her face. Everyone's eyes went wide as her head rose. She had no mouth or nose, just two eyes that were closed. She slowly opened them. She didn't have any pupils or irises. They were black but the center of her eyes were white; the black slowly faded to white. Her eyes had no expression as she sang the final line. The voice seemed disembodied as her eyes blinked slowly.

_I can't… fall… down._

With that she smoothly and quietly walked/floated off the road and vanished behind a building. Again, the streets were silent.

The group didn't move for a good five minutes.

Rykk was the first to do so. "I think that was the Siren." He stated just barely a hint of fear in his voice.

Sly stammered, "W, w, what?"

"Read about her. There was an explorer a while back that wrote down what he saw. One thing he mentioned was a ghostly woman roaming the edges of the city. What she wants or if there's more like her, no one knows."

"I… think it best if we keep moving." Leo suggested and everyone agreed.

For the next two miles all was quiet. No one spoke and all weapons were at the ready.

Sly's ears then heard something faint, something akin to skittering. He turned in the direction. He then heard a light chirping/chattering noise come from behind some rubble. Soon the same noise rang out in all directions around the group. Everyone began to scan their surroundings.

"Over there," Draxis said as his Prowler form got ready to pounce.

Crawling out of ruined buildings and down broken walls were thousands of small, imp-like creatures similar to the nocturnes Kaden had described. The problem was that they were all a pale blue/white color, had pure red eyes, no pupils, and sharp black claws and teeth. They all stood in around 4'6" or 5' tall, so they were all shorter than those in the group. They were all smiling as they ran at the mostly-scared gang.

The group yelled as they too charged the army of mutated nocturnes.

Sly blasted and shocked any nocturnes that got within reach of his staff. He would teleport around, stunning the short beasts. He also climbed up walls to jump off and would perform a ground blast.

Ratchet slammed and blasted any that were close to him. Though he eventually put his wrench in its special Utility and grew to twenty feet tall. His shirt ripped apart, it wasn't like it was doing him an good anyway. The nocturnes snarled as he crushed them under his feet and whacked them with his hands.

Fen was slicing away with his swords. He was fast and acrobatic. His moves were smooth and incorporated a lot of spinning motions. As such, he cut paths through the horde. He had Ferra turn into a swarm of bees and used them to torment and distract the demons.

Draxis was slashing and biting the haunting crowd as a Prowler. His roars echoed through the streets. The black blood of the mutant horde lined his maw and claws.

Talwyn was flying overhead and bombarded the army with concussive blasts. The things could jump impressive heights and she had to kick them off her legs and arms occasionally.

Carmelita covered herself with blue flame and began to roast any within her range. They yelped and chirped at the fire. Any imps that tried to bite her were vaporized in sapphire flame.

Murray was bashing the crowd with both his metallic fists and with seismic blasts. The blasts knocked those in their paths to the ground and made them loose their footing.

Leo was rapidly spinning his shotgun and firing. His reload rate was very impressive. Orange Vector pellets left his weapon and blew apart usually two imps at a time.

Arco was using her shields to blast and knock the foul imps away. She also gave protection to anyone that asked. The main one was Leo, so he could reload his shotgun.

Atlas rapidly fired his pistol in all directions, even behind him. His shots very rarely missed and he was very quick to reload.

Rykk was a machine. He coldly, quickly, and precisely cut and sliced his enemies. He was smooth but didn't show the raw passion and anger he had when he fought Calamity. His face was empty, even as he blasted them with Alter or would vanish through the ground to surprise his foes.

They fought, for over ten minutes they did. They put many of the mutated nocturnes out of their misery.

_This is taking too long; we can't fight these things all day! _Ratchet thought. The imps were climbing on him, they kept hacking but his skin was too strong for their claws. They inevitably got swatted away.

Apparently Rykk was thinking the same way. "We need to move now! Ratchet! Grow to fifty, hold those who can't fly in your hands, and run down the road!"

Ratchet nodded and he felt his body grow from twenty feet, to fifty feet tall. He lowered his hand and Sly, Carmelita, Murray, Kaden, Clank, Atlas, Arco, and Fen all piled onto his palm. He put his other hand gently on top of them and then began to run down the road they needed to go. Hundreds of nocturnes were flattened under his enormous feet.

Leo shot jets of purple plasma from his feet and flew after Ratchet.

Draxis morphed into a giant eagle called a Plain Hawk and flew that way.

Soon they outran the nocturnes and were making good speed.

Rykk was concerned about one thing, Ratchet's steps created tremors and was wondering what was going to feel them.

"Ratchet! Look out!" Talwyn yelled as a gigantic, mutated Hunter lunged at him. It was twice the size of the one they had seen on the Plain. It had white fur on its head that faded to black near its rear. Its pupils were glowing red while the rest of the eye was a bright yellow. For the moment, it was the about the same size as Ratchet.

Ratchet was mostly able to dodge the beast. It nicked his shoulder and knocked him back. He kept the occupants in his hands save as he fell backwards. When he landed he set them down and prepared to fight the giant, demonic wolf.

The Hunter was standing back a second; it hadn't seen anything like Ratchet before. It was snarling.

Ratchet focused and maxed out his size. He now stood over fifty feet taller/bigger than the Hunter. Ratchet growled and ran at his attacker. The beast growled and charged Ratchet. Though Ratchet was now twice its size, the Hunter was ferocious and hungry. Ratchet kicked the Hunter in the face and sent it reeling. He then grabbed it and threw it into a crumbled building.

At that time, everyone was glad that Ratchet had the ability he had. The sounds of their fight roared like a thunderstorm.

Everyone else couldn't relax; they were soon approached by a horde. The horde was a mutated form of the creatures that attacked Ratchet, Clank, and Talwyn when they first came to Agrona (they are called the Clan). Their appearance was ghoulish; they had thinner, pale blue fur, long claws on their already long fingers and toes, and most of them had their mouth agape like a ghost. They were slouched forward and ran with their arms slightly trailing behind. When they got close, they would try to slash or bite. Dried bloodstains were on many of the mutated Clans' mouths and claws.

The crew got to hacking, blasting, burning, and knocking their attackers. The fight lasted for a few minutes and was an incredible display.

Everyone was surprised when the bloody and beaten corpse of the Hunter fell on top of/crushed most of the Clan.

The crew looked behind them and saw Ratchet; the hundred-foot tall lombax had a look of determination. His towering figure was intimidating; there was still a decent amount of Clan left and they were charging the group. Ratchet casually raised his foot. The big, furry, yellow appendage blocked out whatever sunlight made it into the city. He then brought it down onto the Clan, killing about two-thirds of them. The rumble of his crushing footfall was sent through the ground. The rest of the Clan took off, yelping and grunting in fear.

Ratchet then shrank from a hundred feet tall, back down to his five-foot tall, normal size.

Talwyn ran up and hugged him. "You were amazing!"

"Dang dude, you just took out a Hunter with your bare hands!" Draxis exclaimed. He was still in the form of a Prowler.

Rykk nodded, "Well done."

Kaden didn't say anything, but gave his son the look of approval. That was all he needed to give him.

"That reminded me of the Technomite incident…" Clank stated before chuckling, "…Only, in reverse."

"Oi would've hated ta foight dat ting," Atlas congratulated, "Tanks Ratchet."

Ratchet shrugged, "No problem, being that size, feels… good. I love it."

Clank asked, "Everyone ok?"

Sly looked down, he had a good sized cut on his upper arm. "I got cut a bit." He said and Clank hovered over to him.

He scanned the wound and bandaged it. Others in the group had similar cuts and wounds. It took Clank only a few minutes to heal them.

Again it was quiet and they had only a mile or so left. They ran the rest of the way. Thanks to Ratchet, the other creatures were too scared to approach them.

Rykk, Leo, and Atlas, led the group the rest of the way to the city's center.

As they approached, Talwyn landed and Draxis turned back into his normal lombax form.

The square was big, open, and empty. The crew scanned the area looking for Ebony.

Kaden yelled, "Ebony! I'm here! Show yourself!"

The group waited for a few minutes. "Over there," Arco stated and pointed.

Coming out of an old, crumbling church building was a floating orb of green flame. There was also a slow, haunting sound similar to a clarinet being blown. The orb of flame re-entered the church.

"Let's go." Leo said and the gang followed the orb.

The glowing green flame ball led them deep into the dark, dilapidated building. It led them to an old stairwell and down the stairs. "I don't like this," Rykk stated, his pupils glowing yellow. "She's leading us to a confined space. Plus, Ratchet's ability will be made useless if we go down there."

Kaden sighed, "I know, but we don't have a choice." He then began walking down the stairs. The group reluctantly followed. Best Rykk could tell, the stairs led them down at least a good seven stories below the street. The orb then led them down a hall that opened into a circular, stone arena/throne room. The room was empty save for a large, roaring green fire in the center. It also had four other doorways, where they led, they didn't know. Sitting atop a throne overlooking the fire and the entrance was Ebony. Her long, black robe trailed from the throne.

"I trust my pets didn't kill some of you?" She said; her voice elegant with an insincere-politeness.

"They didn't kill anyone…" Kaden stated and stepped forward.

The news made Ebony put on a sad expression, she whimpered softly before performing her infamous, sinister laugh. "Oh dear, that means we've got a bigger audience."

"Bigger audience? What do you want?" Kaden asked. Ebony's passive-aggressive manner was aggravating him.

Ebony stood up, she looked at Talwyn and smirked. "Ms. Apogee, why don't you ask Kaden what happened to **your** father? Heeee knnoowss…" She said the last part in a sing-song ton and pointed her staff at the chief for emphasis.

Talwyn froze for a second before turning to Kaden. Of all the things she wasn't expecting to hear that. "What is she saying?"

Surprise, fear, and hurt appeared on Kaden's face. "I, I, I, don't know…"

Talwyn noticed the look on his face and she realized he **did** know, "What happened?!" Her blue eyes became a bit wet.

Ratchet couldn't move he didn't know what to make of the situation.

Kaden jumped at her outburst but didn't speak. Everyone was silent and could only watch.

"Oh," Ebony said with a pitiful tone, "He's dead, Max Apogee died in this city."

Tears began to run down Talwyn's cheek, "Kaden, WHAT HAPPENED?!"

Kaden stammered, it was evidently painful for him, "Y, y, years ago, h, he came through a portal to this world. We became friends. I… I had sent scouting parties to this city to retrieve Cores. But they all either disappeared or came back badly hurt. I thought Max could handle a party…"

"But he was never heard from again…" Ebony finished, her voice had venom in it.

"Why… why didn't you tell me? You knew who I was!" Talwyn yelled at Kaden. She shot him a hurtful glare. "Did **you** know?" She looked at Ratchet. Her face read of pain, hurt, hate, and anger.

Ratchet was shocked that his father knew about Max. He shook his head, "I, had honestly, no idea."

Talwyn saw that Ratchet was telling the truth. She yelled and knocked Kaden to the floor with a blast, "You liar! You knew who I was! You knew my father was dead! You… didn't… say… anything!"

"He abandoned him, didn't send any help, any rescue, he… let… your father… die!" Ebony exclaimed. "Only told him that there was one party lost before him; in truth, there were six!"

Talwyn looked back up at the dark entity. "How do you know that? Did you help kill him?"

Ebony laughed, "No, but I was there." She turned her attention back to Ratchet. "Seems that all of the Ellipses abandon their friends eventually," She said spitefully, "Right Ratchet?"

Ratchet was utterly confused and upset. "I… don't… know… YOU!"

"I know you!" She shouted in anger and spite. The outburst was uncharacteristic from her passive-aggressive tone. "I thought I did once..."

"Once?! Who **are** you?!" Ratchet shouted.

Ebony looked down and closed her eyes as green flames spun around her. They hid her for a second.

Ratchet almost fell down as the flames died down.

Clank almost short-circuited upon the sight.

Standing above them, was a yellow-furred lombax with blue eyes.

It was Angela Cross.

"You left me… alone." She still had the horns and was still in the long black rob. "I thought you would have come back. Then Max saved me from Tachyon and took me here." She then turned to Kaden. "And you, you sent us here and LET US DIE!" The green flames appeared around her again and the green fire in the center of the room exploded. It knocked everyone down as Angela's fur turned pale white and her eyes began to lightly glow the yellow/green color. She then fired a purple and white lightning bolt at Kaden and another at Ratchet.

They both yelled and writhed as the unnatural lightning coursed through their body.

Ratchet's eyes grew wet as the pain faded; he felt both anger and pity for Angela/Ebony. "Angela… what happened to you?!"

"I was abandoned, like father… like son… and I changed. We all changed didn't we?" She addressed the whole group. "Some of us have more coming." She flipped her hand casually; a wisp of green flame followed her motion.

Two nocturnes came from one of the doorways; each carried a Dark Radiation Core. One came in from the right, the other from the left. Ebony snapped her finger and each core levitated from their grasp. Each one had green flames underneath them.

"The core to my right…" The flames flashed underneath the core she spoke of. "…contains a nice enough Being. Yes, I can see them, as can Rykk." She said as she smiled and winked at Rykk.

Rykk furrowed his brow.

Ebony continued, "… as I was saying. This one is nice enough, just wants to settle with a host. Doesn't mind if the host is dominate, just wants to live." She then turned to the other, "This one," she clicked her tongue, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, is a naughty one. It wants to, well; think of Calamity but with, other… sick desires. Kaden, step forward please. Everyone else, stay back!"

Kaden stepped away from the group, his ears low.

Ebony then levitated the bad orb to Kaden, he looked at it.

"Take it,"

Rykk yelled, "Don't touch it!"

Ebony shot Rykk with lightning. It made him fall and yell.

Kaden jumped and put his gloved hands on the orb. There was a brief white flash across the orb's surface.

"Now drop it,"

Kaden looked at the orb and imagined the monster inside. "You, Angela, you're a Bonded?"

She pulled down on her robe and showed a bright green symbol on her pale shoulder. It was shaped like a V and had a line down its center. She then told the group how she changed. "We tried to escape with a core. Before we got it, I called for help but none came or responded. During our escape attempt I dropped it. Max was far enough behind me that the Being inside didn't split and enter us both. I was going to die and Max gave me an injection of Healer. It allowed me to fully change. After giving me the serum, he was killed by a Hunter. You… left us… because of you… Angela died."

"I… I… couldn't send any… we… couldn't risk more lives." Kaden was visibly upset and stammered and shook. "Rykk, what kind of Being is in this thing?"

Rykk studied it, "She's right, that thing is a murderous Being. If it could, it'd kill us all and drink our blood."

Kaden breathed uneasily at the news. "I… can't drop this. I can't unleash it."

Ebony raised her chin, "Fine," She pointed at Ratchet. A dark, shadowy figure, a puppet, flew from her and entered Ratchet.

He yelped as he felt the forceful entry of the puppet.

"That's how you gave me dreams?" Ratchet stated; he was doubled over as the puppet was hitting the pain receptors in his body. "You put this thing in me as I slept?!" He felt violated.

Ebony nodded, "Yep just had to make sure the cat wasn't around."

Rykk growled at the insult.

Ebony continued, "Now, if your father doesn't cooperate, I'll slowly stop your heart." She then smiled and Ratchet felt a burst of pain in his chest.

Ratchet gasped as the pain subsided and was able to, shakily, stand.

Rykk slowly made his way to Sly. He touched Sly on the shoulder.

Sly, and everyone else, were silent and could only watch the dangerous drama unfold.

Sly jumped as he heard Rykk's voice in his mind. "_Hey, I just put my puppet into you. It's the only way we can talk without her knowing."_

"_We can't let that Being get unleashed into anyone can we?"_

"_No, it'll be another Calamity to deal with. Need you to teleport to Ebony and distract her. If I can get my puppet into Ratchet I can prevent her from killing him. However, she'll know the instant my puppet is in him."_

"_We've got to be fast." Sly thought._

"_Yeah, wait for my signal."_

Ratchet yelled, "Dad don't!" He paid for that comment as a sharp pain hit his chest again.

Ebony sneered, "Fool, now do it."

"_Sly, get her,"_

The next events happened within a few seconds.

Sly teleported and ended up behind Ebony. He grabbed her.

Rykk flew his puppet from Sly, milliseconds before he teleported, and it entered Ratchet.

Ratchet yelled as the puppets inside him raged against each other.

Ebony yelled, spun, and threw Sly to the side.

She then grabbed the other orb and it flashed. Sly teleported to the other side of her but she somehow guessed where he was going to go. She flung the orb and it broke at Sly's feet.

There was a flash and the unearthly yell from a Being freed from its prison. It looked like a dark mass of black energy. The mass looked roughly humanoid; it had a circular head, short arms and legs. No hands or feet. The head had two; expressionless eyes and unknown whispers came from the Being. It studied Sly for a split-second before it flew into him.

Sly yelled, though it was the good Being, Bonding was still excruciating. He fell to his knees and clutched his head.

Carmelita shrieked, "SLY NO!"

_Sly felt the thing in his head, "Asnar arrana dano trebea." A flash of pain flew through his mind as it scanned his memories._

"_Gah! What? What are you… aaahhh!"_

"_Do not be afraid," a cold, clear voice rang. It bore no gender. "If you are a good person, I will let you control this body. But the changes are inevitable."_

"_Changes? Ack! What kind?"_

"_You are a good person, you may have control. Do not be afraid Sly, you may keep your name."_

"_Keep my name? YYYYAAAAAHHHHH!"_

While the struggle happened in his mind, it was quite a show on the outside. Swirls of black, red, and white energy swirled around Sly. They also were entering him, coursing through. He was yelling, screaming, and howling. He was tensed up and his eyes were closed. At one point he opened them and his eyes were a swirl of black, red, white, blue, grey, and purple. Ebony stepped back to admire her work. "Thought that second orb would be useful…"

Carmelita was in shock and fury gained inside her. She yelled and fired a stream of blue flame at Ebony.

Ebony waved her hand and a wall of green fire blocked the stream. The impact created a dazzling swirl of blue and green.

"Hush, fighting will start soon enough." Ebony smirked as she shifted her attention, "By the way Draxis, thanks for the heads up on his teleportation, you've been most helpful to me."

All eyes turned to the now, shocked young, lombax.

"What?" Rykk asked. "What is she meaning?"

Ebony smiled she reveled in the situation, even though her initial plan failed. "He gave me a full report on everyone's abilities. Did it through a dream to and he thought I would let Arco live in exchange."

Arco looked at her boyfriend. "You, betrayed us?" She was hurt and felt an anger spring up inside.

Draxis was now very upset and visibly regretted his actions. "I didn't have much choice! She said she'd kill you if I didn't tell her!"

Rykk sighed.

Leo shouted, "Let's deal with this later! We have more pressing issues."

Kaden still held onto the bad core and everyone turned their attention to Sly.

Rykk, and well everyone, wanted to attack Ebony.

Rykk couldn't, he was partially distracted by his puppet still fighting Ebony's inside Ratchet. That and Ebony could've easily taken advantage of Sly's immobile and desperate condition.

Having been given VIM, Sly didn't need anything to save him from the Being's Dark Radiation.

Sly slowly began to morph. His fur turned into a dark, deep blue color. There were two, brightly-glowing, red lines. They started around his eyes, ran along the side of his head, down the sides of his neck, down his back, converged on the middle of his back and ended as one line above his tail. His eyes glowed red, no pupils, but the whites of his eyes were black. On his chest a symbol formed; a red hexagon. At each of its points, lines converged on the center. Inside the hexagon was a smaller octagon. It was his mark as a Bonded. His apparel also changed. It turned into a pair of dark grey pants, and a black, hooded, sleeveless jacket. There were holes in the hood for his ears and the hood was up. His eyes glowed from behind the hood. The sleeveless jacket showed that his symbol was also on his upper arms. He had not gloves, no shoes, no hat, and no mask.

The energy swirls lasted for a minute before they were sucked into him. When they vanished, his fur faded to its normal color and pattern, except for the red lines. His eyes mostly changed back, except his irises, they stayed red. His apparel changed back to normal.

Sly stood up and Ebony shoved him down to his friends. He was still stunned from the Bonding process and landed on his back. "Well, that was a good show." She held up her staff and a blast of green flame left the staff's top. She then withdrew her puppet from Ratchet and it flew back into her.

Rykk also withdrew his puppet and it entered him.

After she did that, there was yelling, chattering, moaning, and groaning coming from the other entrances. "My pets will entertain you." Ebony said as she sat back on her throne and a horde of mutated nocturnes and Clan poured into the chamber. "Oh, I'll relieve you of that." She said as she used her green flame to pull the core out of Kaden's hands. She held it before it vanished. She presumably put it in a Utility.

"Sly, let's see what you can do now." Rykk stated when he heard the crowd, before they appeared.

Sly shook his head, he seemed like was, ironically, recovering from amnesia. "I… I am still Sly… Sly Cooper… the Being… let me keep… my name." His head shot up like it all came back, like he had it all figured out. He looked at Rykk and grinned, "I can do this…" He then yelled, his fur turned dark blue and the lines glowed brighter. His clothes changed into the dark grey pants and black, sleeveless, hooded jacket. Sly then faced the horde and roared; his teeth, now sharper, were bared.

Sly charged and lunged at a nearby Clan. His body seemed to disintegrate into the Clan. The Clan jerked a bit and its eyes flashed, for a second they became the same as Sly's.

The crowd paused for a second in curiosity, and even Ebony was intrigued.

The possessed Clan turned and began to rip into the crowd.

All of the gang followed suit. They yelled in anger and rage as they slashed into the mob.

Ebony watched as her pets stormed into the room. Their numbers were many. They acted as a deadly barrier between the group and Ebony. She made no attempt to leave and just watched. She knew eventually one would make it through to her.

The group was fighting well, and Rykk was able to get an opening and leapt up onto the upper level. Ebony stood as Rykk flew at her. She raised her staff and a wall of huge, black thorns rose in front of her.

Rykk tried to phase through it but his powers didn't work on them. He flew right into the wall. The foot-long thorns were driven into him. They were driven into his shoulders, his side, his legs, and his neck. He yelled and fell. He summoned some Healer and applied it.

As he recovered Ebony dispelled the shield. She then zapped him with three bolts of lightning. Then, she surrounded Rykk in a cage of the dark thorns. The vines grew under him as well so he couldn't phase through the floor. "You stay put kitty, I've got someone to attend to." She said in a mocking tone before vanishing in green flame.

Rykk grunted in rage and frustration and began to claw at his cage of thorns.

Meanwhile most of the gang were fighting for their lives. Their foes seemed endless.

Sly had alternated from possessing Clan and nocturnes to killing with his new staff. It was the same, upgraded staff that Bentley gave him. However, it has changed. He could summon it at will and was now as strong as Rykk's blades, Calamity's blades, and Ebony's staff. Even though it wasn't bladed, it's blasts were powerful and its grapple was made stronger. Plus, Sly hasn't used all of his new tricks, just the biggest one.

Talwyn was blasting away and was quick. She was doing well, until… her gaze fell on a floating green orb of flame, a will 'o the wisp. It was like the last one but this one felt different. She felt drawn to it, she couldn't explain why but an irresistible pull drew her. She walked towards the wisp, it moved away up the stairs onto the higher platform. She followed.

The wisp and Talwyn walked past Rykk in his cage. He was franticly clawing and biting at the thorns and vines, "Talwyn! Don't! What are you doing?!"

It was obvious she was entranced or hypnotized by the will o' the wisp. It then slowly led her down a hall.

Ratchet and company were so busy fighting; they didn't know that Talwyn was missing.

Rykk tried to get someone's attention but his puppet couldn't through the thorns. The unnatural thorns seemed to quiet his yells as well.

A few minutes passed and the numbers of the horde dissipated. Soon Rykk was able to cut his way out of the thorns, "Ratchet!"

Ratchet finished off a Clan and then looked up.

"Ebony's got Talwyn!"

Ratchet's eyes went wide and he bolted with Rykk down the passage. The two outran the rest of the group who were just finishing off the few stragglers. When they finished they followed.

The passage was lit by torches with green fire, giving the passage a malevolent feel. It ended with a stone door.

Rykk looked through the walls, his pupils glowed yellow, "Stand back." Using his Alter, he pulled the door down. The passage opened into a small chamber, it was a dead end.

Inside stood Ebony, she was seemingly alone and was waiting.

"Where's Talwyn?!" Ratchet yelled.

Suddenly a forest of dark thorns grew in the passage and blocked the others out.

Ebony's face contorted into a look of disgust, hatred, malice, malevolence, and pity; "You poor simple fools! Thinking you could defeat me! ME! THE MISTRESS OF ALL EVIL!" She shouted as she grabbed her robe with her free hand. "Well here's your precious, **girlfriend!**"

Ebony yanked her robe aside and revealed Talwyn. She was in a kneeling position and looked up. Her eyes were solid black. Her skin a bright red color and her hair was longer, darker, and rougher. Her fingers were tipped with black claws and her teeth were yellow fangs. Her apparel was also vastly different. She now wore a simple, white dress. On the ground were the broken, jagged shards of a Dark Radiation Core.

Ebony laughed in malicious jubilation. Green flames appeared around her and she faded away.

Rykk simply looked down. He felt sick. _Aw crap, this day has turned into hell._

_She's… no… aw no…_ Ratchet began to weep and cry. "Talwyn… you're a… Bonded?"

"Talwyn" smiled, "I'm Enmity." With that she charged the two, her claws at the ready.

They split and Ratchet yelled, "We can save her!" He was heartbroken but still, there had to be **some** way to bring her back.

Rykk didn't respond as Enmity drew a pair of hook swords. "I can't wait to taste your blood." She said in a manically happy voice. "I can see your hearts beating that sweet liquid; your blood Rykk, oooh that'll be a treat!" She looked back and forth between Ratchet and Rykk, deciding who to attack. She surprisingly chose Ratchet.

He blocked her quick slashes with his wrench and was trying to get an opening to knock her out.

As she attacked she was giggling like a schoolgirl.

Rykk ran at her as soon as he got a clear opening.

Unfortunately, Enmity got an opening with Ratchet and blasted him into the wall. Her blasts were now red and much more powerful.

The impact stunned Ratchet badly. If he had been alone, she would've killed him. Her blades were able to put a few cuts in his tougher skin. He head was spinning and he struggled not to black-out.

Meanwhile, Enmity and Rykk were furiously exchanging blocks and strikes.

While Rykk was cold, calculating, and distant; Enmity was giggling and smiled madly as she fought.

In addition to attacking with her swords, she also tried to blast Rykk like Ratchet.

Rykk blocked the blasts with Alter. He would then try to counter but she would either dodge his shots or block them with her blades.

The exchange lasted for around thirty seconds.

However, Rykk was more experienced and a stronger Bonded. He soon got an opening and in a split-second, he; kneed her in the face, punched her in the throat, kicked her in the chest, and blasted her into the wall with Alter.

His attacks stunned her and she was lying on her front.

Rykk walked over to her; his blades in his hands.

Ratchet had just gathered his mind back together when he saw Rykk standing over Enmity.

For a second he was glad she was restrained. They could take her and find a way to cure her.

Then, Ratchet saw that Rykk had one of his blades resting a few inches from the back of her neck.

The young, warrior lombax was petrified.

Ratchet yelled, "Rykk don't! We can save her! We'll find a way to bring her back!" He pleaded desperately. His stomach turned in fear and emotional distress.

Rykk looked up, his face showed little remorse or any other emotion. "There is **no** cure. If I don't do this, she'll be just like Calamity." Rykk spotted her reaching for one of her blades. _He'll never forgive me, but she'll be a terrible killer. I__** have**__ to._ "I'm so sorry…" with that he quickly severed her spinal cord, making sure it was as painless as possible.

Ratchet's face was drained of color as he watched Rykk drove his blade into her neck. Her black and red blood began to seep from the wound and he was in shock. Time froze, his heart fell out of his body as extreme loss, grief, sadness, and intense rage filled him.

Enmity shrieked and red energy exploded from her before she went still. The explosion was the Being dying.

Rykk felt tears escape his eyes. Though he looked cold, inside his emotions were a raging hurricane. For the sake of those around him, he would go somewhere private later to vent.

"You… you… you killed Talwyn," Ratchet stammered as his emotional dam began to overflow. He was kneeling over her dead body. She had morphed back to her normal look after the Being died. He yelled, ran at Rykk, and punched him in the face multiple times.

Rykk allowed it.

Ratchet was in absolute rage and grief. "We could've saved her! She could've lived but you murdered her!" Ratchet's face was soaked by tears of mourning and fury.

"No, we could not have saved her. Bonding is permanent." Rykk stated in an unintentionally cold manner.

Ratchet didn't accept that, "No! There's always a way out!"

Rykk, for some reason, couldn't stop his anger and despair from showing, "NO! THERE IS NOT!" He paused to regain control, "Now get angry at Ebony! She did this to her!"

Ratchet backed away from Rykk. His heart utterly broken and became filled with hurt and betrayal. "I **am** angry with her. But my people **were** right about you. You really are a murdering Bonded!" He said with a hard and firm tone. "You **should** be hanged."

Ratchet's words were worse than any blade. They cut Rykk's soul deep and made his cold expression change to one of hurt. He knew Ratchet would hate him and he knew that Ratchet's grief would drive him to say things; but he didn't expect to hear those particular words.

Ratchet shoved past Rykk angrily and held the body of Talwyn. He began to weep bitterly.

Rykk just stood with his back to them. He then began to cut at the thorns. Tears began to pour down his bitterly angry face. Using his anger and his blades, Rykk had an easier time cutting through the cursed thorns. _Ebony, I'm going to rip you shreds. I'll rip your heart out and burn it! You'll pay for what you made me do! You made me kill someone like Calamity did! Ratchet hates me now and it's your fault!_

Rykk soon met the rest of the group hacking their way through the thorns. Rykk barreled through the crew. "Rykk, what's wrong?" Leo asked.

Rykk was silent; the look on his face told the others to leave him alone.

The group rushed in to find Ratchet mourning over Talwyn.

Clank gasped when he saw the scene, "Oooohh noo," Clank cried. "How… did…"

"Rykk…" Ratchet said bitterly. "He did this…"

Everyone was stunned, none more so than Leo and Atlas. Leo looked around and saw the broken shards of the orb. "Talwyn, she was a Bonded?" Leo asked.

Ratchet nodded, "Yeah, but we could've found some way… something to turn her back."

Though Leo knew that was impossible, he bit his tongue. Ratchet was in no state of mind to correct.

"Oi can't take dis no more…" Atlas said as he held his head. "Dis world es hell."

Everyone was distraught and their hearts were conflicted.

The newly Bonded Sly was extraordinarily torn. On one hand he saw Talwyn's body and knew that if she was the evil Bonded, Rykk did kill her. He felt Ratchet's agony and too felt anger but he knew Rykk probably did the right thing. Still, to watch your friend kill your girlfriend, no matter if it's right had to be traumatic.

Kaden was the hardest hit. He was nearly an emotional wreck upon seeing his son's dead girlfriend. _It's all my fault, my fault, my fault she's dead! My fault Ebony exists, I'm to blame!_ "Ratchet, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault." He kneeled down and put his hand on Ratchet's shoulder.

Ratchet looked up; his eyes were red and his face wet. "Maybe just a bit, but I don't blame you for her." Ratchet spoke of Talwyn. "Ebony is our fault, Talwyn is Rykk's."

Before Kaden could respond, everyone jumped as they heard a yell/roar echo.

"What in blazes was that?!" Arco shouted.

Leo bolted down the passage and Sly followed.

The circular arena was quaking, black and purple energy filled the space. The Alter also had tinges of red in it. The energy was swirling around in a furious maelstrom. Pieces of rock and metal flew around in the Alter storm. It was deafening, the floor shook, the sound of rushing air, and the crumbling structure. Leo made a shield of plasma protecting Sly and himself from the debris and Alter.

Rykk was nowhere to be seen in the fury.

Leo yelled, "RYKK! Calm down! You'll kill everyone! It wasn't your fault! I know you had to!" Whether or not Leo actually believed that was irrelevant. If Rykk kept raging the way he was, he would destroy whatever was in his way.

There was another enraged yell from the storm. It was followed by a blast of Alter the knocked both Sly and Leo back. Leo stood back up quickly and brought his shield back up. Soon, they were joined by Atlas, Fen, and Carmelita.

"We need him to stop! If he keeps this up, we'll be dead!" Leo yelled. Debris ricocheted off the shield and he was straining to keep it up.

"Please!" Sly begged, "Please Rykk, please stop! Do you want to kill us?! I know you're not a murderer! Prove it now!"

His words seemed to resonate with Rykk, the storm slowed a bit. It then progressively got slower and slower. Then, the Alter froze. Strands of black and purple laced the room.

Fen reached up and touched a band of Alter. It made his fingers feel odd and it made them tingle. Some Alter stuck to his finger and he went to wipe it off. Instead, his fingers went through the stone. He jumped back instinctively but then did it again. After a few seconds, the Alter was drawn from his hand. He then noticed that all the Alter was converging on one point.

The Alter began to form a humanoid shape, it formed Rykk.

After a few seconds, he was done and he fell on his face.

Sly, Leo, Fen, Atlas, and Carmelita made their way down to him.

Leo and Atlas helped him up, "I… I… I can't believe… I did it again…" Tears were in abundance, they flowed from his green eyes. "They're right… I am…."

"We can discuss that later," Leo stated, partially because he was unsure himself. "We need to either go after Ebony or get out of here."

"That witch…" Fen started with spite. "She needs to pay. I'll send Ferra out, maybe we'll get lucky."

Leo nodded, "Do it."

Fen held his arm up in front of him. Ferra had withdrawn inside of him when the fighting stopped. She then reappeared on top of his arm. "Hornets," Fen commanded. Ferra dissolved into a swarm of them and they flew into the air. "That way I can see multiple things at once, and their eyesight is as good as a hawks." Fen said and then sat down with his eyes closed.

Carmelita approached Sly with caution. "Sly… are you…"

Sly looked at her, "I am still Sly. I'm Sly and more." He then smiled in a caring way, "I do still love you."

Carmelita smiled and she got emotional, "Ringtail, you may look different, but I can still see that gleam in your eyes." She said as she hugged him.

Sly hugged her back. For a second, he lost track of time. He just wanted to hold her, forever. Sly was, mostly, the same after all.

Sly blushed as he remembered where they were. "Carmelita, let's talk later, the situation now isn't good." His attention turned back to the present as he heard Leo.

Leo was trying to comfort Rykk so he wouldn't rage again. "Fen and Ferra will find her, we need to…" He was silenced as he saw Ratchet walk out with Talwyn in his arms. He had to grow a bit to hold her.

Ratchet glared at Rykk.

Rykk just looked away.

"Atlas, keep an eye on Rykk." Leo ordered as he approached Ratchet.

Atlas nodded and sat next to the self-loathing Bonded.

Leo ran up to the distraught Ratchet, "Ratchet, I'm so sorry. Fen and Ferra are looking for Ebony."

"I'm coming with you," Ratchet said lowly but with iron determination. "She will pay. First, can you do me one favor Leo?"

Leo looked at him; he figured he knew the request. "What is it?"

"I know you can fly, so… can you take Talwyn back? I don't think she'd want to be buried here."

Leo nodded, "Sure thing. I can have her preserved until you come back. Atlas, Sly; take care of these guys." He then looked at Clank. The robot/AI was exceedingly upset and displayed impressive amounts of emotion. "Clank, I have my short-range com set. I'll let you know when I'm back."

Clank's avatar nodded, "Yes sir."

Ratchet nodded slowly indicating that he wanted her preserved. He then said, "Thank you." As he solemnly handed her over, as he did, he kissed her on the forehead. "Love you…" He used all his strength to not break down.

Leo nodded; he was used to seeing this darkness, and took off through a hole in the church's roof.

Ratchet looked up into the sky. The dark clouds made him feel even more forlorn.

* * *

Well, well, well, a lot of things have been revealed. So, what do you think the many turn of events and the events themselves? Parson? The fight through the city? Ebony and Kaden's history? Draxis' deception? Max Apogee? Sly's Bonding? Talwyn's Bonding? Rykk killing Talwyn/Enmity? Ratchet's hostility towards Rykk?

And yes, the Ring Around The Rosie lyrics come from the Dead Space 2 trailer.

Please give me any thoughts, ideas, reviews, and/or criticisms you have.

They are needed.

Thank you,

Jerod2447

* * *

(This song, and the movies it has been in, is what inspired Ebony)

**"Once Upon A Dream"**

I know you,

I walked with you once upon a dream

I know you,

That look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam  
And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem

But if I know you, I know what you'll do  
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

But if I know you, I know what you'll do  
You'll love me at once  
The way you did once upon a dream

I know you,

I walked with you once upon a dream

I know you,

That gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam  
And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem

But if I know you, I know what you'll do  
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream!


	14. Chapter 14, Forlorn

Hey everyone, this one is a comparatively shorter chapter but a very emotional one.

Thanks to evil Ratchet96 for all the reviews, both for this story and my book The Jolt. It's been great shooting ideas back and forth with you. Thanks Katratzi for your reviews and also exchanging ideas with you.

Anyways, thanks for reading and enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 14, Forlorn,

* * *

Ratchet was sitting alone against a cold, stone wall. He held his knees to his chest and didn't want anyone near him. _I can't believe this… I just can't… Rykk… why did you do it? There's always a way… we could've found it… together… we could've brought her back… instead you… _intense loss, rage, and brokenness filled his chest. He couldn't hold it back, the quietness made it impossible for him to not mourn and rage. He let it pour from his hurting form. _Rykk… Ebony… you both will die! Ebony is the worst; she deserves it the most… Rykk… you betrayed me… you betrayed her…_ Ratchet looked up at his former friend. It just made him more upset.

Rykk was also on the ground; his back was against the wall opposite Ratchet. His legs were parted, both his white-tipped ear and the full black one drooped, his tail barely moved, and his eyes were drenched. His body was filled with self-loathing and guilt. He couldn't shake it, no matter how much Atlas tried to comfort him. _I… I killed again… I had to but… why does guilt still burn inside me? I should die for this… Ratchet and I'm sure the others hate me… after we deal with Ebony, I'm leaving… I'll kill Calamity, and then I'll either die by hanging or however Ratchet wants me to…_

Sly, Carmelita, and everyone else were in the middle of the two.

"I do not know anymore," Clank stated, it was evident that he was especially torn. "From all the intel I have, Rykk made the right call. But to kill a friend, especially one that I have known for some time, I can't help but feel rage towards him. I hate this…"

"I felt so weak when I saw her." Murray stated. He was talking about Ebony. "She seemed so powerful."

"She was, but she was more than anyone expected." Sly responded.

"This situation sucks," Arco stated before turning to Draxis. He had been avoiding her gaze since things calmed down. "Draxis… tell me," She was still hurt that he had betrayed them, but some of the hurt had turned to pity. "Help me understand why you helped Ebony."

Draxis sighed, he was truly ashamed. "I felt cornered; I didn't want to lose you…" He paused and glanced at Ratchet. Arco followed his gaze. The poor lombax was mourning heavily. "…I didn't want to feel like that."

"I see," Arco started as she pulled her knees to her chest. "Draxis, I do love you. I just don't know what else to say."

"You don't have to say anything; I'm the one who has to ask for your forgiveness. Arco, everyone, please forgive me. I screwed up." Draxis felt tears escape his eyes.

Arco smiled. She put her hand on Draxis' face and their lips met. It was a quick, I-forgive-you kiss.

Draxis savored the brief kiss. He then blushed lightly when he realized they weren't alone.

Sly chuckled, "It's ok Draxis," He stated as he put his hand on the young lombax. "Ebony put you in an impossible place. I believe that's what happened with Rykk, except on a different scale."

"Roikk's pretty beat up," Atlas stated as he joined the group. The Irish Law Man was somber himself. "Oi wish Oi 'ad been born on Earth. Te longer Oi stay here, de more tings git worse."

"Maybe he should be executed." Arco stated. "I didn't know her long, but Talwyn seemed like an amazing person."

Carmelita nodded, "She was. I can't believe he… but he had… argh! I… feel so mixed up!" She exclaimed in exasperation. "So much changed in so short a time, I don't know if I can take it."

Sly put his arm around her and pulled her close. He couldn't think of a response.

Clank decided to check on Ratchet so he floated over to his grieving friend, "Ratchet?"

Ratchet looked up, his face and eyes were red and very wet. "Hey Clank," He responded lowly.

Clank hovered till he was beside is friend. "I am so, so sorry Ratchet."

Ratchet sniffed, "Thanks pal. I just… I can't… how do I live without her?"

If Clank could produce tears, he would have then and there. "I do not know, but I am here for you." He hovered till he was on top of Ratchet's knees. He then gently set down on them. "I will always be there for you."

Even though he was just a hologram, Clank touched Ratchet's broken heart. He didn't put it back together, that was impossible, but he made the pain a bit more bearable. The two best friends mourned together.

While Clank went to visit Ratchet, Sly went over to see Rykk. Before he did, Atlas whispered in his ear, "Oi'm a bit concerned dat Ratchet may try ta…"

Sly sighed. To be honest, so was he. He knew that Ratchet normally wouldn't consider it. However, he knew that grief and rage tended override logic and intelligence, "Yeah, me to. But he can't take Rykk, especially here; he can't grow to more than fifteen feet. But yeah, we'll have to keep an eye on them."

Rykk had lost his calm and cold demeanor, killing Talwyn seemed to break him. He stammered and barely seemed to register that Sly had approached him.

"Rykk," Sly touched him on the shoulder. "Rykk, come on, this isn't like you."

"What am I Sly?" Rykk's voice barely a whisper.

"Huh?"

"I've asked myself that question every day since I was Bonded. Every day I can't answer it."

"You are Rykk; you're the one that saved us from Calamity, twice. You're a friend."

"I don't have friends; the ones I had are gone."

Sly sighed, "Rykk, I don't know about them, but **I am** your friend." He looked away and paused for a second. "Seeing that I'm a Bonded too, I need your help with this."

Rykk looked up and sniffed, "When I met you guys, I thought I had a second chance for friends."

"What about Leo and Atlas?" Sly asked.

"Leo's ok, he was the closest thing to a friend I had. Atlas," Rykk looked away. "That's a different story. Please, I'm not going into it now."

Sly nodded, now wasn't a good time to press him. "Alright, well… just don't get so down. Give Ratchet time, he will forgive you. Why don't you come join us?"

Rykk nodded. There was the slightest hint of a smile on his mouth as he stood.

"So, what all can you do Sly? Did your Being tell you?" Rykk asked, his tone almost sounded like he had forgotten what had happened.

Sly grinned, he was eager to show off a bit. "Yeah, throw that rock at me." He pointed at a basketball-size piece of stone.

Rykk shrugged, grabbed it and chucked it at the new Bonded.

Sly quickly extended his hand and a cloudy, grey/red colored energy bolt left his hand. When it hit the rock, the rock slowed down to half its speed and did glow the same color as the energy. The stone almost seemed to hover in midair.

"Nice, you can slow down time?" Draxis asked. Everyone watched the rock slowly tumble through the air. The energy's effects lasted for about fifteen seconds before it resumed its normal speed. By that time, Sly had gotten out of its way. "After I was Bonded, I just… knew how to possess. My Being didn't tell me, I just knew it. A bit later, I just knew how to shoot this energy. I call it Bide."

"Can you still teleport and climb walls?" Murray asked.

Sly nodded, "Yep still got those. Also, I can unleash a blast of Bide that will completely freeze time for everything in its radius. I can unfreeze anyone or anything inside its radius as I choose. However, I won't be able to use Bide for a short time after. My Being also said that Bide will have little to no effect on other Bonded." Sly chuckled in happiness, "I love this, every now and then I hear my Being comment on something or suggest something, but I still feel like me."

"Yeah, but unfortunately not all Bondings are the same." Rykk commented. "How long will it take Fen to find Ebony?"

Draxis shrugged as he answered, "Don't know, could be a couple hours or a couple minutes or he might not."

Rykk sighed.

It was about an hour later and nearly everyone was asleep (except for Fen, he was still in the trance-like state, looking for Ebony through Ferra). Clank stood watch over the group. The area was unusually quiet and devoid of mutated monsters.

Ratchet had passed out and was having a dream. It was not a good one. His mind kept replaying Talwyn's death over, and over, and over. Each time just added to his overwhelming sense of loss and his anger. He still refused to accept that Bonding was permanent and he felt more and more like Rykk had betrayed him.

It all peaked and Ratchet sat up, he couldn't take it. He saw Rykk sleeping in the group. His dream flashed again and his anger was burning brightly, it consumed him. His rage overrode his logic and clouded his mind.

Clank saw that Ratchet was awake, "Ratchet, are you ok?"

"Clank," Ratchet spoke softly, "What do you think of Rykk?"

"I am conflicted,"

"You know, we could've found a way." Ratchet said bitterly, "We always do."

Clank sighed, he knew the data but he also knew what Ratchet meant. They had beaten the odds many times. "Ratchet, are you planning on…?"

Ratchet looked up; it was all he needed to do. The look on his face told Clank everything.

"Clank; on the way here you said Decagon gave you a restraining collar?"

Clank was now really conflicted; a part of him **did** want Rykk to pay for Talwyn. He couldn't explain why because all logic said that Rykk was right. Still, Ratchet was his closest friend and he wanted to help him. So, he hovered over to the sleeping Bonded. He was as quiet as he could be, didn't want to wake the others. "Rykk," all that came from Rykk was a loud snore. So Clank lightly pushed the tip of his machine into Rykk's shoulder, "Rykk."

Rykk stirred and lazily opened his eyes. "Clank? What's going on?"

"Ratchet wants to speak with you."

Rykk shook his head, "How'd he sound?"

"I think he wants to make amends."

_Ah, I'm sure._ Rykk thought sarcastically but smiled on the outside. "That's good," he played along. "Show me where?"

Clank nodded and Rykk followed him outside the church. He led him to the main courtyard; it was quiet and devoid of its ghoulish occupants. Rykk also noted it was far enough from the church that only something louder than a gunshot would alert the others.

Rykk saw Ratchet leaning against a partly crumbled wall.

"Hey Ratchet what's…" Rykk paused as he felt an all-too-familiar sensation around his neck. He then realized that Clank had locked it onto his throat. He yelped as he felt electricity course through his body. He fell to his knees, his Alter was unusable.

"I asked for one simple thing Rykk." Ratchet stated before his wrench appeared in his hand. "I wanted her to be contained. You don't know, there might've been a cure out there. But nooooo, you ignored me. Instead you…" He approached Rykk and swung the wrench into his temple.

The blow was a bad one and dazed Rykk. He knew though he could withstand those kinds of blows for a bit. Both he and Ratchet knew that he could. Ratchet was venting. He hit Rykk two more times, giving him a bloody nose. Ratchet shouted as he swung, "…took… everything!" The blows from the powerful wrench began to really hurt. "So now… I'm taking everything from you." Ratchet said in a low, dark, and menacing tone as the blades on his wrench extended.

"I HAVE NOTHING!" Rykk shouted as loud as he could. His outburst gave Ratchet pause and surprised him. "I know how you feel Ratchet! I know it all too well." He sighed as the painful memories of the past flooded back into his mind. "Do you want to know how I know?" Rykk didn't wait for Ratchet to respond. "Well; I watched both my best friend and dad die, slowly, the rest of my family is either dead or has disowned me, my girlfriend left me and wants nothing to do with me all because I'm a Bonded!, most of my old friends feel the same way, my reputation as a hero is shredded, and even the person I was is mostly gone. Oh yeah, add to the list that every other lombax and human wants me dead!"

Ratchet was quiet.

Rykk continued. "That's how I know and I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted was to make you feel this way. If I didn't do what I did, then there would be many, many more people feeling what you do now." Rykk felt his eyes water, "I want to die… I want to see my father and my friends again. So please…" Rykk pleaded and leaned forward exposing the furry back of his neck. "…Please, just kill me now."

Ratchet was stunned; he brought the wrench above his head. He wanted to kill Rykk, he really did. He saw Talwyn's face and really wanted to put his wrench's blade into him. However, what Rykk said started to cool the flames of anger inside the heart of the lombax. Ratchet realized that though his Alter was disabled, Rykk was still plenty strong enough to beat him. Yet, he was on his knees begging to be killed. He was waiting for the final blow he was sure was coming.

_So this, this is what being broken looks like. _Ratchet thought. He couldn't do it; he let the wrench fall behind him. Its heavy thud echoed. He then collapsed himself to the ground. "I… I… just… miss… her… so… much," He stammered before relapsing into heavy sorrow.

Rykk sat up; he was mostly hoping that Ratchet would've killed him. He then casually blasted away a stray nocturne. He then put his hand on Ratchet's shoulder. "Ratchet, believe me, I really want to be friends with you guys. You, in particular, I considered to be almost a brother…"

Again, Rykk's words made Ratchet pause.

"…For this reason, once Ebony is dealt with, I will leave to go after Calamity on my own."

Ratchet sighed, "You really do have a death wish don't you?"

Rykk stood up, "When your only goal in life is to kill Calamity, you kind of have to." His tone was cold and distant, like he wasn't the one speaking.

"Look," Ratchet started, his mind cleared of the rage. "I'm sorry, I let my anger get a hold of me." He said as he took the collar off of Rykk. He sighed and thought for a second. In the calm moment he accepted the fact that there was no other way. Talwyn was dead when the Being took her. "I do forgive you,"

Rykk looked at Ratchet and Clank approached. Neither were expecting the lombax to say that.

"I want to help you take both Ebony and Calamity down." Ratchet said in a firm determined manner. He looked right into Rykk's slit pupils.

Rykk saw the determination and was both encouraged and scared for him. He knew talking Ratchet out of this would've been impossible.

"I am sorry as well," Clank admitted. "I too let my emotions run me."

"It's ok Ratchet and Clank," Rykk started, "If I were you, I would have felt and acted the same way. For now, we've got Ebony…"

There was a loud thud as Leo landed beside Clank. "Sorry Clank, I tried to contact you but seems our coms have difficulty in this city. The Attero attacked New Elko!"

"Sounds more like a job for the Law Men." Rykk commented.

"Normally yes, but they've kidnapped the lombax Chief of Defense, the Chief of Justice, and the Chief of Transportation. They were there to meet with the Governor of New Elko to discuss trade settlements when the attack happened. Any sign of Ebony?"

Clank hovered closer, "We need to go inside and see if Fen has found her."

Fen was still sitting in the same spot, he was still concentrating. "Fen," Rykk started, "See anything?"

Fen opened his brown eyes, "I did once, a flash of green light. But it vanished."

"So, you've got nothing?" Leo asked.

Fen nodded disappointedly.

Rykk sighed, "Odd timing for the Attero to pull something like this now. Any rate, we might as well get out of this hellhole and see what's happening."

"I also noticed something else." Carmelita stated, "It's been awful quiet. We haven't seen any nocturnes, Clan, or Hunters for a while."

"Bet that means Ebony's gone." Murray stated, "Wouldn't mind leaving this creep town."

"Ratchet, they'll need a lift." Rykk ordered, "Let's get out of here."

Ratchet carried those that couldn't fly in his hands again. Rykk and Leo fought off any resistance they received from the locals. The mutant crowd wasn't nearly as heavy or as mean as before.

It only took them a few minutes to reach the Atmo. Rykk and Leo flew ahead.

Soon New Elko came into view and those that hadn't seen it before were amazed. The city was enormous and had a unique layout. The city was composed of thousands of towering skyscrapers, each one thousands of feet tall. The towers were either brown, crimson, navy blue, or dark grey in color. Like Velocity, there were monorails going up and down, weaving around and above the towers. However, its greater size wasn't what caught their eyes; it was the second, ground level that seemed to cut through most of the buildings. It was a thick, solid platform that had a few holes to allow sunlight through to the ground. The second ground level was over a thousand feet above the crimson ground.

Over half of the towers were under construction and a lot of the rails were broken or being worked on. The city was recovering from strife.

Though not as big as Metropolis, it's peculiar design was unlike anything he had seen.

"Amazing isn't it?" Bones asked Clank. "You should have seen this city before Calamity and Rykk's fight."

"The city's architecture is unlike anything I have in my travels." Clank took multiple pictures of the cityscape.

At the same instant both Clank and Bones jumped at the same time.

"What is it guys?" Sly asked.

Both of their holographic faces showed fear. At the same time they both said, "Calamity is in New Elko!"

* * *

So the immediate aftermath of the previous chapter's events. What did you think?

Please review and share your thoughts, they are what keep me writing.

Thanks for reading,

Jerod2447


	15. Chapter 15, Taken From You

Introducing, chapter 15

Thanks to both evilRatchet96 and Katratzi for their reviews and input, it is very much appreciated and keeps me writing.

I apologize as this chapter is shorter than the previous ones, I'm planning for the next one to be longer. Was going to combine this chapter and the next but thought better of it.

Anyways, enjoy

* * *

Chapter 15, Taken From You,

* * *

"What is he doing?" Rykk asked, his full attention was commanded.

"He's killing anyone within his reach with either his sword or Ravage." Clank stated. "The Law Men are doing their best but it's not enough.

"What about the Attero, is he attacking them as well?" Rykk asked. "And where are Theo, Nai, and Phil?"

"The Attero seem to be avoiding him." Bones answered. "And Theo, Nai, and Phil are assisting the rescue effort."

"Are Calamity and The Attero working together?" Sly suggested.

"Highly unlikely, Calamity very, very rarely works with others. If he does, he will turn on them. The Attero leaders are intelligent and wouldn't work with him. It's more likely Calamity found out about the Atteros plans and is taking advantage of the chaos." Bones responded.

"I got Calamity," Rykk started, "Ratchet, Sly, Leo, and Murray, Draxis, Fen, Arco, and Carmelita, now is when we fight back. Kaden and Atlas, you handle the Attero situation. Bentley, Bones, and Clank, keep feeding us intel." Rykk barked.

"Glad to help," Kaden added.

"Will do," Bentley stated before jumping into a mobile computer terminal.

Rykk nodded before making his way to the cockpit. "Max, set us down in Columbia Plaza's upper main square. We can split from there."

Clank and Bones then gave everyone com units. (They didn't give them any for Parson as the Dark Radiation would've ruined them.) "We'll be in touch." Bones said.

"Hey Rykk," Draxis started, "We would like to be called by our nicknames on this op. Y'know," he pointed at himself, "Revamp," then at Arco, "Bastion," and finally at Fen, "Arcane."

Rykk paused for a sec, "Um… ok?" He wasn't quite used to the antics of the younger lombaxes.

Arco smiled, "Besides, we've come up with a nickname for you as well."

Rykk raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

Fen said, "White Tip."

Rykk felt a bit conflicted about the name. Yes the white tip on his ear was very noticeable and the name did have a cool ring to it. But it reminded him that he was scarred but he was scarred in many other ways. He shrugged, "It'll work."

A few minutes later and the Atmo landed in an open, empty square. Upon touchdown, both Rykk and Sly entered their Aggression Modes.

The two teams split up and headed for their goals.

* * *

The streets of New Elko were huge and mostly empty. There were bodies all around, both human and lombax. The view from the second ground level was breathtaking. The buildings towered above them and rivaled the stone pillars on the Plain. Stone and metal rubble lined the street they were on.

Rykk led his team through the streets. He had his swords drawn. Refugees ran past them in a hurried frenzy.

Revamp turned into a prowler and ran with the team. His appearance scared more than a few refugees.

Arcane sent Ferra flying amongst the towers. He loved seeing the ground through her vision.

Ratchet had his wrench drawn. It was then he realized he was going into the fight wearing only the special shorts. He shrugged, no need for armor when your skin is just as, if not more tough.

Leo summoned a short sword that belonged to his mentor. It was straight and had glowing red edges.

Sly summoned his staff and held it behind him. He forced himself to filter out all the noise of a panicked mob and chaos.

The team ran until they came to a square, it was where Calamity was last seen. Sure enough, he was standing in the middle of it. Dozens of corpses were scattered throughout the square. As the group entered the gory square, they saw him slit the throat of a human refugee. The blood shot out a great distance and dripped off of Calamity's dual-bladed sword. He smiled as the refugee's body slumped to the ground. "Ah the gang's all here. Good, was starting to get bored." He spotted Sly, "Well Rykk, looks like we got another one of us."

Sly grinned, "Yeah, and I'm not weak anymore."

Calamity walked casually over to a wall. "Maybe…" He reached down and picked up a bound lombax. Everyone was shocked when they saw who it was.

* * *

Kaden ran alongside Atlas towards the scene of the hostage situation. It took the enhanced duo only a few minutes, they were fast. As they ran Bentley gave them a heads up on the situation. "It would seem that over a dozen Attero gunmen stormed the government building during the trade negotiations. They were able to sneak their way through security and forced their way into the meeting room. They currently have most of the chiefs held up in a maintenance bay underneath the building. The Law Man heading this op is Carter Vance. I have alerted him to your presence and he will fill you in on the details."

The place was a meeting hall inside a huge government tower. The tower was one of the few that started on the city's second level but was still a very tall one. Law men surrounded the building along with journalists and onlookers.

Kaden and Atlas shoved their way through the crowd. Thanks to Bentley, they were allowed inside the building. They made their way down to the basement of the building. It was dank and there were a half-dozen tunnels. They soon found the Law Man in charge.

He shook their hands, "Hello Atlas, Chief,"

Kaden asked, "Are they working alone or is the Attero behind them? And what do they want?"

"Best we can tell they are backed by the Attero. As for the second question, they want ten million gold Icons delivered to this address." He handed a piece of paper with the address to Atlas. "We're getting the funds in order and setting up a counter op. However these tunnels can lead on for miles. Without Bones, Clank, and Bentley's help, we would get lost. "

"What can we do sir?" Atlas asked.

"Atlas, you can join Sigero's team and help with the grab. Theo, Nai, and Phil are with them. Chief, unfortunately I'm afraid I can't use you." Kaden began to protest but Vance continued. "I can't be responsible for letting a lombax chief getting hurt or killed in this operation; especially one as high as you."

"But I can fight and I've been Hammered." Kaden remarked.

"I'm sorry, I can't." Vance stated.

Kaden grunted and stepped back.

"Oi'm sorry about dis Kaden but e's roight." Atlas said trying to help.

"Maybe… Atlas, tell those Attero I said hello will ya?"

Atlas grinned and nodded, "Will do Chief."

Kaden leaned against a wall and waited.

Suddenly Bones' voice came through the chief's com, "Kaden?"

"Yes?"

"If a situation arises where you would be useful, I'll let you know ok?"

Kaden didn't know whether to be insulted or thankful. So he chuckled, "Thanks Bones."

* * *

Calamity hoisted a bound Chief of Defense, Ryan Decagon.

The young Chief yelped as he was lifted by his tail. His uniform was in tatters and Calamity held him in such a way that any action against him would hurt Decagon. Calamity then ripped off what remained of Decagon's uniform and summoned his knife. "You know Rykk; I'm actually helping you this time." He then drew the knife from Ryan's shoulder to his hip. The cut wasn't deep, but it bled well and Ryan yelled. Calamity then drew the knife's blade to his mouth and licked the blood off it. The sight made Ratchet's stomach turn. "Hmm, never really had a taste for blood but I must admit, lombax blood is sweet. Anyways Rykk, this is for you." At that, Calamity slit Ryan's throat.

Ryan crumbled to the ground, blood went everywhere.

Rykk growled as he flew towards Calamity. Though he wasn't a fan of the Chief, he didn't deserve to be killed by Calamity.

Rykk was joined by the rest of the team, they yelled as they ran towards their foe.

Sly teleported behind Calamity and fired a bolt of Bide.

The bolt hit but Calamity just cracked his neck from side-to-side. Bide had no effect on him and he dodged a blast of lightning from Leo.

The plaza was filled with the sounds of battle. This fight required much more effort from Calamity than most of his previous ones.

Rykk yelled as he fired Alter beams and used his energy to try and counter Calamity's Ravage attacks. Calamity commanded his puppets to attack. Rykk unleashed his as well. The difference between Rykk's puppet and Calamity's was that it was dark grey in color.

Sly would exchange blocks and strikes with his staff. He also had puppets, two of them, and used them alongside Rykk's. They were a dark blue in color. He teleported around erratically but Calamity was quick. Sly's Bide wasn't completely useless against Calamity; whenever Calamity threw something with Ravage, Sly would shoot it with Bide. Bide overrode Ravage and slowed the chunk of rock or metal.

Carmelita fired blasts of sapphire flames and was quick to dodge Calamity's sword and anything he threw with Ravage.

Leo alternated between firing plasma bolts and lightning, to swinging Fang's blade. Often he would get in a short exchange with Calamity's blade.

Ratchet stuck mostly with his normal size when fighting. He didn't want to be a big target against Calamity and the square, though big, offered little room for maneuvering. His increased reflexes served him well as did his wrench.

Arcane stood back and used Ferra's hornet form to try and harass Calamity.

Bastion shielded herself, Fen, and anyone who needed to take a brief respite from the fight.

Revamp stayed in his Prowler form (he wanted to be a Hunter but, like Ratchet's dilemma, there wouldn't be enough space to fight.). He was very careful to dodge Calamity's blade and tried to claw and bite the dark entity.

The fight wound all around the square. A couple times Calamity, Rykk, and Leo took to the air and fought on the side of the buildings.

* * *

After a few minutes passed the rescue op started and Kaden was tense. He could hear the exchange of gunfire and yells coming from the mobile com unit the Law men had. Not being able to see what was happening made the situation tense.

"Yaaaah!"

"Shots fired!"

"You're all dead!"

"Man down!"

"Get him!"

"Die! You son of a… AAACK!"

"Hostile down!"

"Down with the Law!"

"I'm hit!"

"Yow!"

"I'll kill you all!"

"AAAAH!"

"Got him!"

…

…

"Carter," Atlas started, "Attero gunmen are down. Hostages are secure, wait, dere's two Attero an' a hostage missin'. Bones, 'ave ya got an eye on dem?"

"Scanning… found the Attero, they're in the tunnel that leads out to an AirRail. I cannot see the mission hostage."

"Show me where they are." Kaden stated.

"Hey, I can't let you…" Carter started but was interrupted by Kaden.

"I'm doing this, you can come with me but I am going."

"He is the closest one to them." Bones stated. "He can keep an eye on them, maybe slow them down while backup is on his tail."

Carter relented; though he couldn't go with him as he had to manage his men.

With that, Kaden followed Bones' voice to the tunnel.

"I'm sending Atlas and two other Law Men as backup." Carter said through Kaden's com, "Keep an eye on them Mr. Ellipse."

"Copy that,"

Kaden made it in time to see them jump from the tunnel's opening onto an AirRail.

_Too bad Ratchet's not here, this would've been even more fun._ He thought as he ran and jumped onto the rail. It took his eyes a brief second to adjust from the dark tunnel to the bright sunlight. He felt his boots shift under him as they shot orange energy that connected to the rail and propelled him. He wasn't physically touching the rail but hovered a few inches above it. The rail curved up and around a tower.

Kaden looked up and saw the two gunmen jump from the ascending rail onto a descending one. Kaden gauged the distance, tensed his body, and leapt. He loved the feeling of flying through the air. He glanced down and saw the city below him before he landed on the rail. He lurched a bit as the rail dropped rapidly towards the ground. The gunmen slowed when the rail was about ten feet above the ground and leapt off. They then ran down the street on foot. _Where are you going?_ Kaden was puzzled by their actions.

He did the same as they did and pursued them down a crowded street. He was gaining on them when they made a hard turn into an alley. He followed them, nearly tripping as the turn was very quick. _These guys must've gotten their hands on some Hammer._ They led him through a maze of alleys and back roads until they came to a dead end.

It was then Kaden got a good look at them. One was a human; the other a lombax and they both looked rough. The lombax was a towering figure; he must've been around 6'6" while the human was around 5'8".

"You boys seem to have run out…" Kaden's heart stopped when he heard an all-too-familiar sound. A sound similar to dark wind instruments being blown in a mesmerizing manner.

A green light glowed against Kaden's face.

* * *

Revamp got an opening and leapt at Calamity. His Prowler claws were extended and his fangs were bared in a furious snarl.

Suddenly everything went silent and he stopped.

The enhanced lombax was confused until he looked down.

He saw Calamity smiling with his blade embedded in his midsection. The Prowler was impaled on the blade and held in the air.

Everyone froze as Calamity threw the mortally wounded lombax off his blade. As he flew off the blade, Draxis turned back into his lombax form. Calamity then tossed a boulder on top of Draxis; it crushed his legs and lower torso.

Arco was mortified and ran over to her badly hurt boyfriend. She yelled his name and felt sick with fear.

Fen was enraged, he yelled, and drew his swords. He charged Calamity and had Ferra turn into a trio of crows. They flew at and pecked Calamity. Rykk, Ratchet, and Sly joined him in the assault. Murray and Leo ran to help Draxis.

The rage of the group was intense and it was what Calamity wanted. He got an opening and, in an instant, sliced off Fen's left arm and left leg. Calamity then kicked the howling, red lombax back.

Rykk roared at the top of his lungs as he flew apart into an Alter storm. It roared towards Calamity and knocked Sly back. It threw him into a building before disappearing into the ground. The storm reappeared but it was different. It was composed of pieces of the ground, rock and stone. The pieces were held together by Alter and together they formed a beast. It was in shape similar to a huge ape. It had a roughly-shaped face, with eyes made of Alter. Its mouth was filled with fangs made of Alter. Rykk's new form stood around forty to fifty feet in height and was intimidating.

Rykk roared and ran on all fours towards Calamity.

At the sight of the rock/Alter beast, everyone froze and rushed to give him room. They focused on helping Fen and Draxis and getting them to a safe distance.

Fen was yelping and crying, clutching what was left of his bleeding arm and leg. Sly gave Fen some Healer; it stopped the bleeding from being deadly.

Draxis' condition was much more dire. Not only was he impaled on Calamity's dual blades, but his legs and lower body were under a boulder and mostly crushed. He lay on his back. Arco, Ratchet, and Leo all gave him as much Healer as they could but there was a limit to how much Healer can fix, no matter the amount applied.

Draxis was dying.

Pain racked his body and blood was pouring from his nose and mouth. "Arco… I'm… sorry…" He coughed up some blood.

Arco was struggling to speak coherently to her dying boyfriend. "Don't be, you fought well."

Draxis coughed violently once more. "I… lo… ve… you…" At that, the young, lombax warrior went limp.

Arco's yells of pain and misery rang out and put everyone in a state of anger and despair.

Calamity's tactics changed and he started to avoid Rykk's new form. He actually looked slightly afraid as Rykk tried to crush or bite him. Though Rykk's new form couldn't fly, he could leap incredible heights and made Calamity constantly move. Calamity was actually running half the time. The other half he would try to cut at his attacker. His blade did manage to cut, but its effectiveness was severely limited. His cuts weren't deep but his Ravage attacks were somewhat effective. They slowed the rock/Alter beast but didn't seem to do any real damage. Calamity was shocked when he was hit and flew into a building. The blow would've easily killed a normal person but it barely fazed him. It was more of an insult to him than anything else. Calamity growled, he knew this wasn't working for him. If he was going to get Rykk, it wasn't at that time or while he was in that form.

Calamity shot himself out of the building as the beast leapt onto it. Calamity looked down and saw Rykk's gang huddled on the ground. He flew towards them and yanked out a huge piece of the building above them. "Rykk, save your friends or come get me, your choice!" Calamity laughed as he flew off. He hated running, but he knew he couldn't take Rykk then and there. Besides… dying at that time wasn't part of the plan.

Rykk stopped, _Calamity you coward! I hate you! Playing the same trick is cheap!_ He thought as he jumped towards the debris. His larger form knocked the debris away and it crashed into an unoccupied street. Rykk looked back up but Calamity was gone, he roared in frustration before reverting to his original state.

He landed, the sight of Draxis pinned and dead made him sick but he didn't show it. He showed little emotion as he approached. "I'm sorry guys, but we need to go and get Atlas and Kaden."

"Draxis is dead," Fen stated.

"We will be too if Calamity decides to come back." Rykk stated in a cold manner.

Arco looked up at him. "How can you be that cruel?! Your friend is dead! I love him!"

Rykk kept his cold, calm, distant expression and tone. "I can be because I am used to this. Now we must go." Though he was cold outwardly, inwardly he was just as upset.

"Ok everyone, hands up!" A loud voice rang out and ten armed men surrounded the group.

_Thought the Attero was trying to hold the Chiefs hostage?_ Sly thought.

Everyone put their arms up except for Arco and Fen (obviously).

"You guys just got here right?" Rykk asked the gunmen.

"Yeah, now give us all your Icons and valuables."

Rykk grinned and lowered his hands, "Look pal, we're having a rough day. Leave us alone or I'll kill you all." He said in a dark tone.

"Look you white-tipped freak; just give us your money!" The thug ordered.

That was the worst thing to say at the worst time; the leader just signed his and his men's death warrants. Rykk quickly touched Sly's shoulder.

"_Blast this area with Bide" Rykk said in Sly's mind. "Leave only you and me free to move. I'm taking these guys out."_

Sly nodded and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and felt Bide gather inside him. He quickly shot his arms up and there was a red/grey flash. Instantly everything in the area, except for Sly and Rykk, was frozen. Everything was drained of color except for the grey/red color of Bide.

Rykk summoned one of his blades and proceeded to cut and stab each one of the group of Attero. The wounds didn't bleed as he cut their major arteries and veins. He vented his anger, rage, and frustration.

Sly was aghast that Rykk was killing these men. Sure they were criminals, sure they had them at gunpoint, but he could've just knocked them out or disabled them. Sly didn't do anything though, he just watched with a darkly firm expression.

Rykk finished and he approached Sly. "Unfreeze them," Rykk ordered in a cold manner.

Sly slowly raised his hand, as if he were pulling a lever. Instantly time resumed and all the gunmen fell at the same time. Blood began to pour from their wounds. Sly looked away, the hood from his sleeveless jacket hid the dark expression on his face.

To everyone else that was frozen, it looked like the gunmen had spontaneously started bleeding and fell.

"Let's go," Rykk barked. He wasn't in a good mood.

"They've… got him…" One of the thugs said as he faded.

Everyone stopped, "Who's they? And who do they have?" Ratchet asked as he was closest to the thug.

"They… got… a…" The thug was near the end. "Chief…" at that he collapsed.

"A Chief?" Ratchet asked before his expression became filled with worry, "Dad!" He grew to twenty feet before he ran off. He grew so he could cover more distance. He was careful enough to avoid injuring innocents but was quick.

"Murray and Carmelita, help Fen, Draxis, and Arco back to the Atmo." Rykk ordered as he, Leo, and Sly took off after Ratchet.

* * *

Thanks for reading and stay thirsty my friends.


	16. Chapter 16, Retribution

Allow me to introduce... Chapter 16!

Anyways, thanks to all you guys that are along for this ride. Thanks to evil Ratchet96, they're advice and reviews have been a great help, along with Katratzi, they have been my biggest supporters and I can't thank you both enough.

Now... on with the show!

* * *

Chapter 16, Retribution,

* * *

Ratchet was frantic as was the rest of the team. As they ran, a call from Bones confirmed their fears.

"Guys! I've just lost communication with Chief Kaden!" Bones voice was laced with worry. He then told them the location of Kaden's last contact.

It wasn't far from their location and they soon arrived in the dead-end alley. Bones and Clank were already there. They were hovering around the fallen com earpiece.

"What happened?" Ratchet asked as he shrank back down to his regular size.

"I'm sorry Ratchet," Bones began, he felt more than a little guilt. "Two Attero gunmen escaped and your father went after them. He had them cornered here. He was about to take them when he stopped speaking mid-sentence. I traced his com device here."

"Is that all? We have no other leads?" Rykk asked.

"We have one…" Clank started, "A couple witnesses saw two people, a man and a lombax leave the alley a few minutes ago. I'm willing to bet they're the ones that led him into this alley."

"You know who they are and where?" Ratchet asked eagerly.

Clank answered. "The witnesses knew the duo. They are called Mallet and Nail; local mercenaries that have ties with the Attero. Mallet is the human, the leader surprisingly, and Nail is the lombax, the muscle. As for where…" Both Bones and Clank closed their "eyes" as they sorted through the info.

Bones finished, "…hard to say, they have a bunch of known places to stay. However, they could only go so far… I've got two. I suggest the four of you split up into pairs and search each place. One's on the Plain and the other is a couple miles north of here."

"Leo and I will take the location in town." Sly offered.

"I'll come with you." Bones stated as he hovered into Leo's grip.

"Alright, Ratchet, Clank, and I will take the Plain." Rykk stated and Clank hovered into his palm. "We'll be in touch. Ratchet, get on my back."

As soon as Ratchet was on Rykk's back he blasted into the air. Bones was in Rykk's Utility.

Ratchet would've enjoyed the flight, the moving wind against his face, the clean air, and the view. However he was tense, he was worried about his father. He had a pretty good idea who was behind it, that's why he was scared.

The flight was only a few minutes long, if that. The hideout was little more than a shack on top of a plateau. Rykk hovered and looked down on it, his pupils did glow yellow. "We got two people in the shack, one a big lombax, the other a human."

"It's them." Ratchet said in a low growl and with determination. "Let's see what they know…"

"Wait," Rykk grinned, "I've got an insane idea that should get at least one of them talking quickly."

Rykk turned his head and looked at Ratchet mischievously. Ratchet asked cautiously, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Remember the Sine Ball?"

Ratchet groaned, "Aw really? Do I have to?"

Rykk chuckled, "The threat of being eaten alive should scare them enough to talk. However, I've heard of this duo before. Mallet's a tough one, despite his size, he is feared. Nail is no pushover but if he sees Mallet go down, he'll break, I'm pretty sure."

Ratchet sighed but then remembered his father. "Fine, but just this once, for my dad." He relinquished.

Once Rykk and Ratchet were set, Rykk phased through the building's ceiling. "Hi guys," he said and they both jumped, "I've got someone I want you to meet." He said in a happy tone as he grabbed them; each with one hand. He threw them through the shack's walls; he didn't phase them through it either.

Both Mallet and Nail rolled on the ground and hit something. They groaned and looked at what they had rolled into. It was a gigantic lombax claw. They both looked at each other before looking up. What they saw nearly made their hearts stop. An enormous lombax towered over them and they scrambled franticly to get away.

Rykk blocked their path, "Now is that any way to treat friends?" Rykk said in a insincere tone.

"Friends? Who are you guys?" The lombax known as Nails asked. He was a tall and thick lombax with grey fur and crimson stripes, he reminded Ratchet of a younger version of Alistair… only dumber.

"I know you Rykk," The human known as Mallet said. "My only friend is Nail, what business do we have with you?"

Rykk nodded nonchalantly, "With me? You don't; him on the other hand…" Rykk pointed at Ratchet. "…you do."

Both thugs looked up, literally at Ratchet then back at Rykk, "Why do we?" Nails asked.

Rykk grinned enough to show his sharp canines, it unnerved the two. "A short time ago you were told to lure a lombax Chief to an alley. He was a friend of ours and there he was kidnaped. Who hired you? And where are they?"

Nail looked at Mallet and Rykk grinned. _So, you do call the shots Mallet. Just as I figured, you guys are nothing compared to Calamity._

"We have nothing to say to you." Mallet stated firmly.

"No?" Rykk feigned hurt. "Well I know that's not true. I'll ask again, who paid you to lure him?"

"Go to hell," Mallet retorted. "We don't give up our clients, especially not to freaks."

Rykk chuckled as that comment pretty much sealed the deal. "You see, you keep talking to me like that and you'll go somewhere worse."

They jumped as Ratchet sat down, his motion sent reverberations through the ground. His tail wagged and swept aside rocks and dirt. He looked at them with a longing gaze and licked his lips.

Rykk smiled as sadistically as he could. _Sell it Ratchet; they need to think we're crazy._ "You see my friend here hasn't eaten in a while. I could use conventional means of torture to get the info out of you but I'll kill two birds with one stone this way and avoid a mess. But if you don't want to be a meal for him you'd best tell me what you know."

Again Nails looked at Mallet; his face looked a bit more worried.

Mallet was undaunted; his stupid pride blinded him to his precarious situation. "Go ahead, you're bluffing."

Rykk sighed and nodded towards Ratchet. Ratchet reached down and put his hands around Mallet. "You look tasty, I'll down you first."

Mallet retorted, "Yeah right."

Ratchet lifted him till he was above his head. Ratchet looked up and opened his mouth wide. He then held Mallet with only two fingers.

Nail's face did show fear for his friend but he remained silent.

"Mallet!" Rykk shouted, "Last chance before you become chow! Who hired you?!"

Mallet looked down into Ratchet's giant mouth. He chuckled, still blind to his predicament.

Rykk nodded, "Fine… Ratchet…"

At those words Ratchet released Mallet and let gravity do the rest. Nail froze and watched the bulge Mallet made through Ratchet's neck fur.

Mallet was furious, disgusted, and scared as he entered the giant lombax's stomach. "You freaks! You think this'll make me talk?! Let me out!"

However, only Ratchet and Rykk could actually make out his words.

To Nail it was muffled and the sight of seeing his boss and friend swallowed alive freaked him. "Oh no please! Don't let that monster eat me!"

Ratchet pretended he enjoyed it. He didn't, they guy tasted awful and the feeling of Mallet moving around inside his belly almost made him sick. Yet, he licked his lips and rubbed his gut. "Ah your friend was good, I wonder what you taste like?" Ratchet said trying to sound as mentally unstable as he could.

"You can't save your friend but you can save yourself Nail." Rykk offered. He tried to sound as sympathetic as he could. "Just tell me."

Nail didn't say anything, he was frozen.

Rykk sighed, "Fine, got another treat for ya boy!"

Nail was frantic, he began to cry and whimper as he felt Ratchet's giant fingers wrap around him. "No! NO! NO! Please! I'll tell you! I'll tell you! Please don't eat me!" Ratchet let go of Nail.

Rykk walked over, "Alright, who hired you?"

Nail calmed down enough to speak and looked up at Rykk. What he said, Rykk had sort of figured but still sent a chill down his spine when he heard it. "Ebony… Ebony hired us; that crazy witch!"

"Where is she?" Rykk asked; his tone much darker and colder than before.

Nail stuttered, "D… d… don't know for sure… all I know is that she's taken some ruined old mansion in the forest."

"The Belvedere Estate?" Rykk asked.

Nail nodded furiously, "I think so… yeah… please let me go! I don't want to end up as that crazy lombax's chow! Not like Mallet did…" He finished with a solemn tone.

Rykk smiled, "Your friend will be fine." With that he flew into Ratchet and flew out with Mallet.

Mallet was covered in saliva and digestive enzymes. Let's just say the short human was very… verbal about what had happened to him and his current state.

Ratchet returned to his normal size.

Rykk summoned one of his blades and held it against Mallet's throat. His face and voice went ice cold. He growled in a low, ominous, animal-like manner, "If I ever see your pathetic faces again! I won't play around like this time! Clank…"

Clank's device extended two barrels and shot knock-out darts into both criminals.

Ratchet approached with a look of disgust and his tongue sticking out "Ok… that was gross. He tasted awful and having him inside me…" He shivered, "Gaaah, I reeeeeally don't want to have to do that again."

Rykk shrugged, "Quit crying. We got a location on Ebony and hopefully your dad as well. And we got it without a mess. Clank…"

Clank smiled at Ratchet's reaction, he found the whole thing amusing. "I have already informed the others. Sly, Atlas, and Murray will meet us there. Leo will stay back with Carmelita and provide energy for her. That way she can help Fen heal and Bones and Bentley will make prosthetics for him. I must say, Ratchet that was quite a show!"

Ratchet grunted in response, "Let's go." He jumped onto Ratchet's back and Clank returned to Rykk's Utility.

It only took them a short time to reach the forest. The trees were thousands of feet tall, like pillars holding up the sky. Rykk flew into the forest and weaved in and out of the trees. Ratchet held on tight, the turns were tight but smooth.

It took them a bit of time but soon they were at the meeting place a mile out from Belvedere.

They were the closest and as such the first ones there. The meeting place was the edge of a clearing in the forest. It was a huge clearing and Belvedere occupied most of it.

Though Belvedere was a mile away, it was large enough to make an impression. The mile between the edge of the forest and Belvedere was flat, rocky and grassy land. Belvedere itself was made of grey stone, not the usual crimson common to Agrona. It looked ancient and had a decrepit look, like it was once a glorious palace but now a ruined, dark sanctum. It had tall, imposing spires and walls. It was like the dark, ancient heart of the forest.

"This place looks different from Parson. It looks older and the architecture is different." Ratchet observed.

Clank hovered over, "My records indicate that this structure predates even Parson. The stone used to make it is not even from Agrona. This is very peculiar… I am cross referencing the rock samples Velocity and New Elko have with my database of all known rocks and sediment but I cannot find a match yet."

"Interesting…" Rykk trailed off as Sly, Atlas, and Murray appeared behind them. They had taken Max's Atmo to the forest.

"So, Ebony and Kaden are in there huh?" Murray asked as he looked at the foreboding palace. "Creepy…"

"Yeah…" Sly said as he studied it. Using his enhanced vision, Sly examined Belvedere. "…best I can tell… she has an army of those mutated freaks from Parson. Thought they couldn't leave Parson?"

"They must have some cores there or Ebony brought some." Clank stated. "Either way, we will have to be very careful."

"Oi've only read about dis place en books." Atlas stated he sounded a bit unsure, "Et was a tall tale when Oi was a lad. Now, et froightens me."

"Parson didn't?" Ratchet asked.

Atlas shrugged, "Et did, but I 'ad been dere once before."

Rykk sighed, "We need to go, we could make a plan, but we have no idea what's in there. Too bad about Fen, could use his help right about now."

"Um… think a plan and stealth are moot points. Her army of real freaks seem to be heading this way." Sly stated with concern. "2, no 3,000 nocturnes, six Hunters, and hundreds of Prowlers, oh this'll be fun." Sarcasm laced the last sentence.

Rykk grinned and his claws extended. He growled like a feral cat before running forward. As he ran, he roared, and had his claws ready. And he leapt into the ground and disappeared. He reappeared amidst the army and turned feral. He slashed, bit, and used Alter to blast and crush his foes with chunks of the ground and rocks. He roared the entire time, never used his Tonfa blades, just his claws and fangs. He paused as an enormous, mutated Hunter charged him. He grinned and ran towards it. It tried to chomp him with its fangs. He jumped into the air and landed on the animal's muzzle. He roared as he slashed its eyes. It roared in pain and thrashed around wildly. Rykk jumped up and put all of his claws into the back of its neck. He slashed furiously at the neck, blood was everywhere. His claws dug through the muscle and tissue and quickly cut its spine. The Hunter howled and fell. Rykk smiled and gave a victory roar before moving onto another Hunter.

Sly teleported erratically around the battlefield, he wacked targets, used his Bide to make short work of targets, especially Prowlers. At one point he unleashed an instant wave of Bide, freezing everything on the field except his allies. That allowed them to make a huge dent. Sly was smooth, cool, and emotionless as he killed. His red eyes glow behind the hood. His red lines glow against his grey/blue fur and blur as he moves. He faced off against a particular large Prowler. It growled and pounced at him. He shot it with Bide and it slowed he moved quickly and hit it repeatedly in the face with his staff. He then leaned on the top of his staff and spin-kicked the Prowler in the face. His enhanced strength meant he cracked its skull and killed it. He then went on to possess one of the Hunters and used it to fight another. He did eventually kill his foe, but the Hunter he possessed was dying so he left it to do so.

Ratchet uses his wrench for a while, just to feel the satisfaction of hitting enemies with it. He extended the wrench's blades and loved the sensation he got when it hit. He used his wrench for a good bit of time before putting it in its special Utility and maxing out his height. He proceeded to stomp on the nocturnes and Prowlers; they were ants and bugs to him. He focused on a pair of Hunters; they snarled and leapt at him. He kicked one in the jaw and sent it onto his back, crushing dozens of Nocturns. He then proceeded to beat the two giant canines to death.

Murray turned into his metal form and roared, "The Murray will pummel you all!" He slammed and crushed his foes, his seismic blasts unsettled and killed many Nocturnes. He also proceeded to grab them and threw them screaming into the air. He was a beast. He even beat down two Prowlers at the same time.

Atlas summoned dual McVoy, Vector pistols and was giving quite the exhibition. He rarely moved from the same spot and almost never looked where he shot. His movements were fast, precise, and fluid. He moved his pistols around his body and took out Prowlers even (he shot them in the eyes or mouth) He even took out a Hunter once. One tried to chomp him. He rolled and evaded its attack and leapt onto one of its front paws. He proceeded to climb up its leg using its fur as handholds. Needless to say (but I'm going to anyway) the Hunter was ticked. Atlas made his way up its leg and onto the back of its neck. Once up there he loaded Alacrity rounds into both of his pistols. He fired each gun twice, the barrels inches from the Hunters neck. It howled and fell face first. He leapt off its head, landed on his feet, and fired both guns, each Alacrity round hit a Prowler and killed them.

The battle raged for over two hours, blood was spilled as the foursome raged against the ghastly horde. Bodies began to pile up and yet, their bloodlust was still strong. They all had blood on them; Rykk had it on his claws, hands, and mouth, Sly had blood on his staff and splatter on his jacket, Ratchet's feet were painted in blood, his hands were covered as well, and he had splatter all over him, Murray's fists were covered in the sticky liquid, and Atlas had the least blood, splatter from his guns but that was it. Everyone regrouped as Rykk finished off a Nocturne.

"Now we have Eb…" Rykk was cut off as he and Sly's ears caught wind of Ebony's voice in the air. It was faint and only they could hear it. Suddenly, Rykk and Sly both pushed Ratchet and Murray aside; they avoided getting blasted by purple and white lightning.

Rykk looked around and quickly saw Ebony standing on top the tallest spire in Belvedere. Dark storm clouds circled above it. In the center of the clouds was a bright, white/green light.

Her voice became much louder and ominous. It seemed to come from all around them and grew in intensity and fury as she said:

"For his father you have come,

But you will all get doom!

Now you are cursed!

You can hear death's bell!

You will now deal with me and I shall send you to Hell!"

Walls of dark thorns sprung up from the ground, sealing off the forest and the castle. The clouds became bigger and darker. Bolts of purple and white lightning leapt from them and struck the ground. Everyone split up and franticly began dodging the bolts.

After a few minutes Rykk got fed up, "I'll get her." He said as he flew up to Ebony's position. His haste got him zapped by the lightning and he fell about six hundred feet. He had made it about halfway up. The bolt was strong but didn't kill him. The impact onto the rocky ground hurt worse. Upon impact he was struck again by lightning, repeatedly. Everyone tried to help him but every time they approached him the bolts blocked their path.

Ratchet stopped running (he was in his max height), "Ebony! Come down and face us! You want me you witch?! Why don't you fight instead of hiding like the coward you are?!"

The bolts ceased and Rykk sat up. He groaned as wisps of steam came off him.

Suddenly Ebony's menacing laugh rang out. Then her voice, it seemed to come from everywhere. "You imbecile dare call me a coward?! You left your own father alone and now he's mine! We've had great time together but he looks somewhat… different. You may not recognize him. My colleague is good at that."

Ratchet felt intense fear and hate build up in him. "What have you done to him you hag?!"

Sly used his enhanced vision to see Ebony. She was looking confidently down on them. That is, until a Nocturne whispered something in her ear. Her expression dropped and became twisted with rage. She grabbed the Nocturne and threw it from the tower. "NO! IT CANNOT BE!" She exclaimed and raised her staff into the air. As she did she transformed into a swirling, galaxy-shaped mass of green, black, and purple flame. The swirling energy flew from the top of the spire and landed in front of the gang. Upon impact Ebony reformed, "Now, you will deal with ME!" There was a deafening roar and everyone jumped as a very large pillar of green flame shot into the air. Her menacing laugh rang out again as the flames faded and everyone's eyes went wide.

In Ebony's place was an enormous, black, dragon-like creature. It had a long, serpentine body with a row of spikes down its back; shiny black scales covered it and it four legs were tipped with claws. It had glowing green/yellow eyes with slit pupils, a long muzzle full of teeth, and two curved horns on its head. In size it rivaled Ratchet, and he was maxed out. The dragon's body was twice as thick as his torso. The dragon roared and a jet of green/yellow flame left its maw. It sounded lake hundreds of flamethrowers firing at once. Everyone scrambled and got out of its path.

Ratchet's arm was grazed by the jet and he actually felt some heat and pain. _Ah! Her flame can hurt me! _He yelled and ran at the huge serpent. His rage and concern for his father took away any fear he had. The serpent jumped at him and yelled. Ratchet punched it in the face repeatedly and ducked multiple streams of flame. He also began to bite into the serpent, his teeth drew blood.

Rykk roared and flew at the giant serpent. He landed on its back and began to harass it with his claws, fangs, and Alter attacks. He managed to hold on while the serpent and Ratchet battle. However, his attacks just annoyed the serpent and it soon batted him away. Rykk flew through the air and crashed through a wall in Belvedere. He paused to breath and looked up. He found himself face to face with a Dark Radiation Core. In fact he saw four of them, _sweet, Ebony, you've got a beast to deal with._ He thought before he started absorbing the energy from the cores and built it up. It took him a half-a-minute thanks to there being four cores. He yelled as he transformed into an Alter storm and blasted out of the room. The storm was the biggest one the others have seen. He flew back down to the battlefield and entered the ground; his rock beast form emerged from the ground and was seventy feet tall. It's thirty feet shorter smaller than Ebony and Ratchet, but big enough that its bite and blows did damage.

Soon, all three titans were battling. Ratchet was getting cuts from Ebony's claws, and his fur was getting singed by her flames. Rykk's form took a beating but gave as much as it took.

Murray, Sly, and Atlas were unsure of what to do at first. For a few seconds they don't move.

"What can we do?" Murray asked.

Atlas responded, "Murray, trow me 'an Sly on dat beast."

Murray seemed a bit nervous about the proposition, "You sure?"

Sly nodded, "Let's do it pal."

"What do I do after I throw ya?" Murray asked.

"Wait for our signal; try harassing that thing as much as you can." Sly ordered. "Use your chain gun."

Murray grunted as he threw Sly and then Atlas. Sly relished the feeling of flying in the air, the wind rushed past his hood and his fur felt alive. He did notice that he was off; he was going to miss the back of the serpent. Luckily he had a solution, he teleported himself onto its back.

Atlas had the perfect trajectory however and like Sly, loved the feeling of wind blowing past him. As he flew through the air he loaded his pistols with Alacrity rounds. He landed on target, right on the serpent's back. They struggled to stay on the slithering, massive serpent. Atlas began firing Alacrity rounds into the beast, making it shriek. Sly made his way to the head and began pummeling it with his staff. He teleported to avoid its efforts to kill him and Ratchet's fists. His hits didn't do real damage but drove the monster crazy.

The brawl took its toll on its participants.

Ratchet was getting cut up, bruised, and burned. He got thrown into the wall of thorns (they came up to his belly) and got a good amount of cuts on his legs, tail, back, and stomach. The thorns were nasty and very sharp.

Rykk was getting knocked around, but his nearly unbreakable form made it so he got the least beaten. He too got thrown into the thorns but they couldn't do anything to his rock and Alter form.

Atlas and Sly struggled to hang on and fight at the same time.

Then, Sly lost his grip and was sent flying. He was also hit by Ebony's tail, knocked out, and thrown into the wall of thorns. He woke up just as he hit the menacing wall. The thorns cut and stabbed him. He wasn't moving for long but was in excruciating pain. He had dozens of cuts, and quite a few large ones. Hundreds of small thorns jabbed him and gave him scratches. More seriously however were the foot-long thorns lodged in his; hand, arm, leg, side, and, most dangerously, his chest and abdomen. Bloods was drizzling from his wounds, nose, and mouth.

Murray saw Sly go flying and ran over to him.

Clank came as well.

"Sly! You'll be ok buddy, Clank can help!" Murray said as he got Sly out of the wall. He did drag Sly as carefully and quickly as he could to a relatively safe spot, away from the fight. The sounds of the titan brawl sent reverberations through the ground and it was near deafening.

Sly could only nod and gasped in response. The thorns did more than just cause wounds; they seemed to sap Sly of his energy and made him very weak. (The cuts Ratchet had gotten were taking a toll but his size slowed the poison)

Clank made his way over and started scanning. "I am not Bones but he has given me a good amount of data on medicine." (Bones was still in Atlas' Utility) He summoned a syringe of Healer and gave it to Murray. "Inject this into his neck; make sure you hit his carotid artery. This venom is fast, it by itself won't kill him but with his wounds… don't take out the thorns!" Clank exclaims as Murray reached for the one in Sly's chest. "If you do he could bleed out, now give him the shot."

Murray grimaced but then saw Sly, one of his closest friends, shudder and cough. Resolve quickly built in him and he plunged the needle in Sly's neck. Bright red blood entered the syringe but was pushed out as the blue/green liquid was pushed into Sly's artery.

Almost instantly Sly felt, and looked a bit better. His smaller cuts sealed and he gained a bit of energy. He wasn't out of the woods yet (both literally and not). "That should keep him stable for a few hours," Clank stated, "But he's out of the fight."

Speaking of the fight, there was a loud, painful roar. It came from Rykk as he had been hit by one of the serpents flame blasts. He had avoided them for the most part, maybe got nicked once or twice, but now took a full blast. It burned and sent him flying backwards into the ground. Upon impact his form shattered and the Alter merged back into his normal frame. He had dodged taking serious damage successfully but that blow was extreme.

Rykk rolled on the rocky ground, the rocks did nothing to him but it was unpleasant nonetheless. He stopped moving and lay face down. He was hurting and felt more than a bit hot. _Holly crap she's tough! Then again, the only Bonded I've fought is Calamity. I would just fly into her and kill her from the inside but my Alter doesn't affect her that way! My blades and claws can cut but they can't cut deep enough! Wait… my Alter… I wonder if it can…_

Ratchet and Ebony had paused and began to circle each other. Both assailants looked torn. Though Ebony had a tough, scaly hide, the combined harassment has worn on her; there are dozens of bite and scratch marks from Ratchet and Rykk and Atlas has blasted holes using his Alacrity rounds. Ratchet was panting; the venom from the thorns had started taking a toll, his fur was singed in multiple spots, and there were dozens of cuts and bruises all over him. _This is going nowhere! She'll wear me down before I can get her down! What can I do?! _Ebony roared and jumped at him again.

Rykk built up as much Alter as he could. When he couldn't hold anymore he yelled, "Ratchet!" Ratchet was holding her back; she was trying to bite his face. He was able to turn his head to look at Rykk. Rykk shouted/ordered, "Shrink!"

Ratchet didn't hesitate; he shrunk down to twenty feet as Rykk shot a massive blast of Alter energy. The blast hit Ebony below the neck and between her front legs. She roared in pain, obviously the blast hurt her a great deal. It sent her sprawling onto her back and she fell on her own thorns. They didn't hurt her, in fact they moved out of her way. Rykk then yelled again, "Ratchet! Hit her in the chest with your wrench!"

Ratchet ran over to his enemy. She was stunned, but wouldn't be for long so he had to hurry. Once he was on top of her he shrunk down to his normal size and summoned his wrench. On her chest was a smoldering wound, a weak spot. Ratchet extended the blades on his wrench and quickly charges it with energy before slamming it down on her wound.

Upon impact the dragon howled and there was an explosion of green flame. The blast shot Ratchet into the air, he happened to crash into Rykk and they both were sent sprawling. When everything was settled the Ratchet, Rykk, and Atlas approached Ebony's position. The dragon was gone, as were the walls of thorns. Ebony was lying on the ground but stood up. She looked weak and surveyed her situation. When she saw the trio approach her she growled and turned into the swirling green, purple, and black wisp and flew into Belvedere.

"Let's get her!" Ratchet yelled as he grew and ran towards the castle.

Rykk grabbed Atlas and flew after Ebony.

Ratchet jumped over the main wall and shrank back to his normal size when he landed. Rykk and Atlas caught up quickly.

Rykk used his special vision to see through the walls and they quickly found Ebony. She was standing in an empty, old, prison cell.

"Where is my father?!" Ratchet yelled.

Ebony glared at him, "I do not know; he was in here."

Ratchet was livid, "You're lying! Now where is he you witch?!"

Ebony growled, "I do not…" She, and everyone else, shuddered as the wall behind Ebony was blasted open.

Ebony yelped as a pair of crimson blades appeared through the top of her torso.

"I'm sorry about this Ebony…" Calamity started as she turned her head to try and see him. "…I really am. I had a lot of fun helping you get Chief Ellipse and… messing with him. But I now need him, alive; which means you have to die." He said as he withdrew his blade.

Ebony shrieked; it was a high, intense sound. It forced everyone to cover their ears. It was followed by a blast of green and black energy from her body. She then changed back into Angela and went limp.

The trio was frozen until Ratchet yelled, "Why do you have my father?!"

Calamity gave a know-it-all smirk, "I have him for a simple reason. No, I don't plan on killing him. I want to make a trade; your father, Kaden Ellipse, for Rykk."

Atlas, Rykk, and Ratchet were both quiet as Calamity continued.

"In three days, at noon, meet me in Velocity's main square. Rykk, you will come wearing a restraining collar and chain, and a pair of pants, nothing else. You know me, if you decide to not do this deal, and then Kaden is mine!" At that he left the way he came. The demonic Bonded also left the three stunned.

* * *

So what do you think? Will they do the deal? Should they? Thoughts on the chapter?

By the way, when Rykk uses his claws it means he's berserking,

So you should get out of his way,

Thanks for reading,

Stay Tuned

Jerod2447


	17. Chapter 17, The Next Three Days

Seventeen... wow, didn't know I would right seventeen chapters of this.

Before you ask, I did name this chapter after the Russel Crowe movie, it's one of my favorites.

Anyways, I can't thank evil Ratchet96 and Katratzi for the reviews and input. Because of you guys this story has continued.

Now, one with the show...

* * *

Chapter 17, The Next Three Days,

* * *

The three, beat-up warriors left Belvedere and they learned about Sly's condition. Though initially he had gained some health, he had begun to decline. The Healer had kept him alive but the amount of poison in his system was taking its toll. "We need to get him to a clinic," Clank stated as Bones began to run checks on the hurt Bonded.

"I concur, if he stays here too much longer, he's going to die." Bones said, "Velocity isn't far, let's go."

Rykk carried Sly and everyone piled into Ratchet's giant palm. He took off towards Velocity and they left Belvedere as the rotting sore of the forest.

It took them less than a half hour to reach the city. Rykk carried Sly into Velocity's main clinic. On the way Sly passed out and his condition plummeted. "Sly! Stay with me!" Rykk yelled. He gave Sly some more Healer to buy time.

Carmelita was frantic upon seeing Sly's condition. She had to be physically forced from the operating room so Bones, Clank, and the docs could work on him. As they took him into the O.R. Carmelita turned and faced Rykk, Ratchet, Atlas, and Murray; "What happened?! How could this happen?!" She yelled. She looked at each of them before ending on Rykk (of course).

He looked at her; he tried not to look uncaring or cold as he didn't feel that way at all. Ultimately he succeeded little in that endeavor. "I'm sorry, Ebony did it, and she's dead now."

Carmelita began to sob. "Please, tell me he's going to make it! Tell me!"

Rykk was conflicted, he didn't want to make a promise he couldn't keep yet wanted to comfort his distraught friend. "The doctors will do their best and Sly is tough, one of the toughest I know." That was the best he could offer.

It helped a bit and Carmelita looked at Ratchet next. "Was it worth his pain? Did you get your father back?"

Ratchet himself was trying to figure out the situation. "We didn't get him back, we're working on that. But Sly helped us defeat Ebony."

Atlas tried to help, "E fought well, wit out 'es help we would 'ave not made et trou her army."

Murray also jumped in, "You should have seen him! He was incredible!"

Their words helped Carmelita feel just a touch better. Murray took her aside and did his best to comfort her.

Bentley appeared from a computer terminal. He looked more than a little upset and worried. "Bones told me about Sly! What can I do?"

"Pray," Rykk asked, "The docs are working on him. I'm sorry,"

Bentley was stunned, he didn't respond. He just sat in his wheelchair and felt tears run down his face.

Ratchet looked at Rykk. "How are we getting my dad back?"

Rykk felt fear as he imagined what Calamity would do to him if he gave himself up. "Don't know Ratchet. I do care about your father, and if he were taken by anyone else I would give myself up. But I… I can't just surrender to Calamity, not without some kind of plan. If I just went along and gave up…" Rykk shuddered, "I can't imagine what he'd do."

Ratchet looked more than a bit distraught, "But he's my father! And your my friend! I don't want to give either up!"

Rykk shouted, "I know!"

Rykk's exclamation turned every head in the clinic and he looked down.

"I know that Ratchet…" it was then; Ratchet, Atlas, Carmelita, and Murray saw fear on Rykk's face. It was the first time they had seen it on him; worry, doubt, and despair were painted all over his mouth and eyes. "… and I'm scared. I want to help your dad but if I do what Calamity wants I'll be tortured to death! Yet if I don't, then your dad dies! There has to be another way!"

As they stood there, six Praetorian Guards walked up behind the four. "You guys," the head guard stated, "Come with us."

"Where are we going?" Ratchet asked.

"The Chiefs want a word with the lot of ya."

Rykk sighed. _Dang it Clank or Bones, you told them about the deal didn't you? Guess you had to or else they wouldn't have been ready for Sly_. "I figured as such. Just don't collar me."

"We won't, it's not that kind of meeting."

They had little choice but to go with them and meet with the remaining chiefs. They all sat around a rectangular table, each one looked worn out and distraught.

The Chief of Justice started, "Rykk, first off I want to apologize for our previous encounter. We should have listened to you."

Rykk nodded, "I'm sorry I couldn't save Decagon, Calamity…"

"Yeah, his death is on me. But we're here to figure out what to do about this deal."

Rykk crossed his arms, "I can guess where you guys stand on this deal. And if it were anyone besides Calamity I would do it. Besides the fact he's my archenemy, if he gets a hold of me I won't die quickly. That and the fact our relationship is more personal… I'll be dying for weeks."

The chief nodded, "We all know that Calamity isn't going to be honest. We have a plan if you wish to hear it?"

Rykk nodded, "Shoot."

"Chief Argand, you explain," the Chief of Justice said.

Chief Argand stood, "Yes sir," He pointed at the table and restraining collar appeared on it.

Seeing it gave Rykk a slight repulsion.

Argand then explained, "This will be a modified Restraining Collar, yes it still works. What's going to be different about it is that it will have a tracking device inside. The device will be small and put in in such a way that if removed the collar will cease to work."

"So if he finds it, he'll release Rykk?" Bentley nodded, "Not bad."

"We will also have two more trackers, one, Rykk will ingest and the other will be attached to his tail. The tail tracker is the decoy, the one for Calamity to find."

Atlas asked, "Es dat all?"

Argand shook his head, "No, in theory these collars should also work on Calamity. That being said, we will install a single Utility square in this collar as well and, the Utility will have a regular collar inside it. Get close, collar him, and kill him. We won't be far behind you."

Rykk nodded, "Not bad, he wants me only wearing; pants, the collar, and shackles, so that makes the collar the only place to hide something." Rykk looked at Argand, not too long ago he wanted Rykk dead. "Argand, why are you helping me? Figured you'd want me dead,"

Argand nodded, "I do, however not to this madman; I want you to hang for Arctan's death."

Rykk shrugged, "Hey whatever gets me out of this mess."

"So what will we do for the next three days?" Ratchet asked.

"We make sure everything is in order. We make sure there are no loopholes or unseen weaknesses." Rykk responded, "That and we help Fen and Sly get better."

Ratchet then asked everyone in the room, "Speaking of Fen, how's the red furball?" He tried to add some humor into the dark situation. It may or may not have worked though.

Bentley responded, "We have prosthetics for him and are going to attach them today. They are strong and I was able to give them a thin layer of energy shielding. The shields offer little in the way of physical protection; but, if my calculations are correct, they should grant them protection from Calamity's Ravage. He'll also have his sense of touch through them as well."

"How is he?" Ratchet asked.

"When he first arrived he was in agony; both for the loss of his limbs, and Draxis' death. Though, now he seems a bit more calm."

"What about Arco?" Rykk asked.

Bentley responded with a bit of a sad tone. "She's passed out from grief in a guestroom. We were able to recover Draxis' body."

"Fen, can we see him?" Ratchet asked. "His abilities will be invaluable to this operation."

"One sec, getting a message from Bones," Bentley held his head and focused. "…They're giving Sly…" Bentley paused and wiped away some tears. "…they're giving him a 30% chance of pulling through." He had to take a second to compose himself. Atlas gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm sorry…"

"No, it's fine," Ratchet replied.

Bentley sniffed and resumed his update. "Yeah, you can see Fen. He's actually about to get the prosthetics put on. I'll take you guys to him."

Bentley led them through the lombax clinic. It was a clean but bustling facility. Nurses and doctors rushed around, read charts, escorted, and took care of patients.

Bentley led them through the controlled chaos of the ER and found Fen's room.

They went in and found the young lombax sitting on the edge of his bed. He already had his prosthetic leg on and a medical engineer was attaching his arm.

His arm was cut off just above the elbow, and his leg just above the knee.

Both prosthetics were a shiny silver color and looked strong.

They each had decorative lines on them.

The lines were the same color as his fur. The silver and red prosthetics looked almost elegant against it.

Fen looked up as the engineer attached the arm. "Hi guys," His brown eyes had a distant quality to them.

"Hey Fen," Ratchet said as he sat down next to him, "You feeling ok?"

Fen nodded once, "Besides missing my arm and leg and…" He looked away for a second. "…my friend…" he wiped some tears away. "…I'm fine."

Ratchet then asked, "Fen, I know this is terrible timing, but do you know about Calamity's deal?"

Fen looked down, "I heard about it, but don't know it. What does he want?" His last sentence was laced with hate and he practically spat it.

"Me," Rykk stated, "In exchange for Ratchet's father. We need your eyes in the sky."

"Are you going to kill Calamity?" Fen asked in a cold tone.

Rykk nodded and grinned, "I may be chained and collared but I can still kick tail."

Fen nodded in reply, "I'm in besides; Calamity can't do anything with these." Fen stated as he raised his prosthetic arm. It shimmered and was smooth in action. "Well, I guess these'll do." He said as the engineer finished with his leg.

"Go ahead, try walking a bit." The engineer advised.

Fen used his robotic arm to push himself off the bed. He stood up and was a bit shaky. He took a few, unstable steps around the room.

"How does it feel Fen?" Ratchet asked.

Fen shortly started to walk in a smoother fashion. "It feel like my arm and leg are… mostly back."

"Here," Ratchet picked up a small paper cup filled with water and offered it to Fen. "Have a drink."

Fen looked at the cup with a curious look. He focused a little and his robotic arm moved. The silver and red hand moved towards the cup, its fingers opened and closed gently around the cup. There was a slight mechanical sound as it moved but it was otherwise silent.

Fen held the cup in his metal hand; he could actually feel the weak plastic in his grip. He raised the cup to his mouth and took a sip. "Well, guess this isn't too bad." He emptied the cup before setting it down. "Let's see what Ferra thinks." At that he focused a bit more and Ferra materialized on his metallic forearm.

The brown and red hawk looked down at its perch. It took a few steps from side-to-side as if testing the stability of her stand. She looked up at her partner and gave an inquisitive look.

"Yeah girl, this is new." Fen cooed as he stroked her back with his organic hand. "You and I will have to adjust." Ferra gave a cry of agreement.

Rykk chuckled, "Seems like she doesn't mind it that much."

* * *

Kaden felt really out of it, he opened his eyes in a groggy manner. He was chained up in what looked like some kind of cave. The cave was dark and a torch cast a yellow light. The light revealed a limited area and showed the crimson rock the cave was made of. His hands were bound above his head and his feet just barely touched the ground.

He was sore all over and felt weak.

"Hello Mr. Ellipse, you've been out for a while."

Kaden was instantly alert when he heard that voice. "I'm guessing you are Calamity?"

A dark chuckle came from the darkness. "Correct, so you know what kind of situation you're in right?"

"I've been in better." Kaden replied, "So… you're going to kill me?"

Calamity stepped forward. His inhuman appearance and malevolent grin sent a chill down Kaden's spine. "Kill you? Why does everyone think I'm just going to kill them?" He gave a chilling chuckle, as if Kaden's question amused him. "I don't kill; death is an unfortunate consequence of what I do. I like seeing pain on others, pain, suffering, misery, and chaos. It's all delicious;" His next sentence carried the tone of its-not-my-fault and he shrugged. "I can't help it if humans and lombaxes can take only so much abuse."

Calamity's words both sickened and terrified Kaden. "Do what you want with me. I won't give you any satisfaction."

Calamity frowned, "While I will have some fun with you, I will not kill you. You are a means to my real target."

Kaden connected the dots, "Rykk, you're going to trade me for him."

Calamity's grin got bigger, "You catch on quick Kaden. We will be making the trade in three days. Until then, you're mine. Now, while I like physical pain and anguish, I like screwing around with your mind even more." Calamity pointed at the defenseless Kaden. A black shadow left him and flew into the strung-up chief.

Kaden screamed as he felt a searing wedge forcefully enter his mind. _AAAAAHHH! So this is what this feels… YYYYOOOOWWW!_

_One of his painful memories plays through his mind like a movie._

"_Alistair, I don't like Tachyon. I don't trust him."_

"_His ideas could be of enormous benefit," The bigger, white and crimson lombax stated. Kaden's best friend argued against Kaden's warning. "Just because he's a Cragmite, you won't accept him!"_

"_Precisely!" Kaden exclaimed, "You forget that his race wanted to exterminate us! If he knows about the past, he will not be happy. And you want to give him top-secret clearance?! He will have access to all of our strengths and weaknesses!"_

_Alistair furrowed his brow and growled, "It's not your call. Soon, you'll see how much he can help us."_

_You blasted ghost! Get out of my skull!_

_The next set of memories brought back absolute terror and heartbreak to him. He had done his best to forget them, now they played back in HD._

_He also felt Calamity's wicked satisfaction in it._

_Kaden looked up and felt sick. He saw one of the Drophyd henchmen fire its weapon and hit his wife._

_It hit her in the back and she fell._

_She was dead._

_Kaden was enraged, tears flowed in generous amounts, and his ears were as far back as possible._

_He was about to kill it when he heard his infant son crying._

_It cleared his rage and he ran to the crib inside the house that was falling._

_He grabbed Chace and ran._

_He and his son entered a ship and fled the burning Fastoon. He went to the Solana galaxy and to a remote, backwater planet where he was sure Tachyon wouldn't find him._

_He felt such heartbreak, such loss, as he left the small, sleeping, lombax infant on the doorstep of a small orphanage._

_Again his eyes became wet and he was sniffing away the tears as they fell._

_He gave his son a kiss on the forehead, "I'll make this right, I promise you." He heard movement from inside the orphanage and fled._

_He couldn't stay._

_He was blasted onto his back by Tachyon. "You furry rats will all die! The Cragmites will rule the universe!" If it weren't for the dire situation, Tachyon's voice and small stature would've been amusing._

_Kaden looked around; he was outmatched in the Court of Azimuth._

_He knew something that Tachyon didn't, Velocity._

_He figured he could get there, regroup, and prepare a counterstrike and get his son._

_He ran and was able to convince Tachyon that he was dead._

_Then he found the portal and entered it._

_He also programed it so that only a lombax could open the protective blinds._

_He was in a tough spot as a Chief._

_He needed to get at least one Dark Radiation Core from Parson but all of the scout teams he sent were either killed or came back with extreme injury._

_Then, the legendary explorer, Max Apogee appeared on Agrona. It was a miracle!_

_He knew that if anyone could take Parson's horrors it would have been him._

_Max was only too happy to try, as long as his friend, Angela Cross, could go. Besides, she was a biologist, she was more than happy to study the effects of Dark Radiation._

_It was less than a day after they left for Parson when Kaden got a call from Angela._

_The fact that they contacted him at all was troubling. The com devices could only work for so long in Parson, so they were told to only use them in dire situations._

"_This is Angela Cross, requesting immediate back-up! Our team has been killed! Only Max and I are alive and I have a core!"_

_Kaden was about to send an order for a rescue attempt when one of his advisors told him not to. "You'll just get more lombaxes killed. They're dead anyway."_

_Kaden considered both options. Was it worth six lives to get a Core? He knew the lombaxes that would go._

_He couldn't do it, he knew the chances of saving Max and Angela were nil._

_He growled as he hung up the call and left._

_He couldn't take the feeling of leaving someone to die, even though he was pretty sure it was the right thing to do._

_He couldn't bear it; the guilt was so bad he had to throw up. _

_The puppet then tore through all of Kaden's recent memories._

_You son of a whore! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

Kaden felt such relief as the puppet left him.

"Well, well, so you are more than just a Chief. You are something incredible, the father of a galactic hero. And you know what?" Calamity didn't wait for Kaden to answer; he drew a cat o' nine-tails and hit Kaden's exposed chest with it.

It ripped out fur and muscle, leaving a dozen, excruciating cuts.

Kaden yelped but didn't scream.

Calamity continued, "I… don't… care. Just because I plan on exchanging you, doesn't mean I have to return you whole… or healthy."

He swung the whip again and hit Kaden's belly. Kaden yelped again and resisted the nearly irresistible urge to yell.

He refused to give Calamity satisfaction.

Calamity hit Kaden another three times before pausing.

On the second hit, the hooks got caught on the muscle of his upper chest. Calamity yanked the hooks out along with a good chunk of the meat.

Kaden couldn't hold it back anymore, that blow made him scream, it made him howl.

Calamity smiled widely and started laughing. "Thank you Kaden! Thank you…" he stood back and thought for a second. "I think… tomorrow I'm going to follow the Romans' example."

Calamity's hint made Kaden's ears fall, his eyes went wide, his tail stopped moving, and his heart raced. _He doesn't mean…_

"From tomorrow till I turn you over, you'll be on a cross. Up there, we'll have so much more fun."

Terror took Kaden as Calamity turned to leave. The dread of knowing what Calamity was going to do filled his being with horror.

Calamity paused and gave him another hit with the whip before leaving.

Kaden was left alone and bleeding in the cave. The rhythmic sound of his blood dripping to the ground was a haunting prelude to what was coming.

His breathing was erratic and the knowledge of what was going to happen made him lose whatever was in his stomach.

The next three days were going to be hell.

* * *

It was a few hours later and the gang had to console Arco. She was a complete wreck.

Draxis being dead was bad enough, the fact that he went in such a violent manner traumatized her.

She had no problem agreeing to help take Calamity out.

It was early the next day when everyone was told that Sly could be seen; though he was unconscious.

Sly lay on a bed; he was mostly covered in white bandages and had an IV machine hooked up to him. There was a heart rate monitor active and a slightly irregular beat came from it. Sly's chest moved up and down in a shallow motion.

He looked rough.

"How are his chances doc?" Ratchet asked.

The doc sighed, "The surgery was the riskiest part; we almost lost him four times. Now it's all up to him. We're giving him everything we can; I'd say he has a 55% chance of survival."

"Why so low?" Carmelita asked. She was on the verge of tears upon hearing the odds.

"For one, he's a Bonded, though that means he's tougher, it also adds an unknown element to his physiology. Each Bonded is different from humans, lombaxes, and other Bonded; so that makes it even harder. That and the thorns did great damage and the poison they secreted delayed healing, clotting, and promoted infection. They were the nastiest things I had seen. To be honest, that fact that he's still alive is amazing."

"I got cut a bunch as well, so why am I not feeling the same?" Ratchet asked and looked down at his legs and lower torso. The cuts were there though, not nearly as bad as before.

"I'd say it's due to your tough skin," Bones interjected as he floated into the room. "The poison's effects were minimized."

"Hey Bones, shouldn't you be helping the technicians in building Rykk's collar? As I recall it was a bit more technical than they thought initially." Ratchet asked.

Bones nodded, "I am, Bentley and Clank are currently with me. I am also helping them coordinate search teams for Calamity, though I have very little hope that they'll find anything. I am also monitoring Sly's vitals, I must say, they're all over the place and change constantly. If he weren't knocked out right now, he'd be dead."

Ratchet whistled, "Whew, sounds like you're doing a lot."

Bones shook his head, "Actually I'm only using about 34.7% of my computing abilities. When I ran the agency known as FIRE (read The Jolt to learn about FIRE, it's on FictionPress) I used up to 88.6% of my abilities."

"Bones," Rykk started while still looking down at Sly. "Can you see any other option in this deal that won't get Kaden or me killed by Calamity?"

Bones closed his eyes and ran through all possible scenarios and predictable outcomes. It took him about a second, "No Rykk, I cannot see any other option based on what we are presented with."

"We got the rest of today and tomorrow, maybe something will come up in our favor." Ratchet suggested, "Why did Calamity give us so much time?"

The question made Rykk sick as he knew the answer. "Ratchet, do you really want to know?"

Ratchet was now intrigued as he didn't guess it. "Now I do, why?"

Rykk took a deep breath, "He didn't give **us** time; he gave your **father** time."

Ratchet's eyes went wide as did his mouth. "Wh… what's he gonna do to my dad?" Ratchet had forgotten up till now that it was **Calamity** that had taken his dad, not some mindless thug or gang.

Rykk shook his head, "Don't think about that my friend, it will just get you down."

Ratchet couldn't help but think of what that monster was doing to the one relative he had that was still alive.

"Hey Ratchet…" Rykk continued then looked at Fen, "Fen, let's go outside practice some hand-to-hand." He figured it was a good way for the two lombaxes to vent and forget for a bit.

Besides, they both still needed training in it.

A few minutes later and Fen and Ratchet faced each other.

No powers, no weapons, just hands, feet, and tails.

Even though Fen had a robotic arm, Ratchet's tough hide meant that he wouldn't be hurt by it.

Ratchet made the first move; he ran at Fen and threw a punch at his face.

Fen ducked and blocked the blow with his organic, left hand. He then delivered a punch at Ratchet's core.

Ratchet, having had a few lessons from Rykk, blocked the counter and delivered his own, a chop to the side of Fen's neck.

Fen caught the chop and did a backflip/knee to Ratchet's chin.

It connected and sent Ratchet reeling a bit. He grinned, "Nice hit kid."

Fen landed and smiled, "Thanks," he ran back at Ratchet and performed a leg-sweep with his metallic leg.

Ratchet then did a flip of his own, a front one and kicked Fen in the back of the head. "But, mine was better."

Fen growled in a competitive manner and full-body tackled Ratchet.

The two wrestled and rolled on the ground for a few minutes.

It ended with Ratchet sitting on Fen's back, he had the younger lombax pinned in such a way that he couldn't do anything.

Fen flailed his arms and legs but couldn't reach Ratchet.

Ratchet just sat there, his tail wagged back and forth as Rykk approached.

Fen yelled, "Get off me Ratchet! This is humiliating!"

Ratchet stood up and helped Fen to his feet, "Sorry Fen, never had a brother. If I did, we would have wrestled just like this."

Fen looked at Ratchet, "You, you're calling me your brother?"

Ratchet shrugged, "If I did, I'd like him to be like you." Ratchet gave a warming smile to the young lombax. The look on Fen's face became forlorn and Ratchet was alarmed. "What's wrong?"

Fen looked away for a second. "Draxis used to call me his little brother. I liked it until about a month before we met you guys. I got onto him to stop calling me that cause I thought I was too old. Now…" He let out a few sobs before regaining control. "…now I'd give anything to hear him call me that again."

Ratchet embraced the grieving kid in a brotherly hug. "I can call you that, if you want."

Fen let it out; he had no family except for Arco and Draxis. To hear Ratchet call him his brother, was the best feeling he had in a long time.

Fen let go and wiped his face, "I'm sorry, I usually don't cry."

"It's alright; it's been a rough time." Rykk said then looked at Ratchet, "You won, and so you face me."

Ratchet sighed, "Now comes the hard one."

Ratchet and Rykk faced each other; Rykk made the first move. He ran, faked a punch and then kicked.

Ratchet fell for the punch but also blocked the kick. He then threw a counter-vertical-punch at Rykk's sternum. The hit connected.

Rykk didn't flinch; he hit Ratchet on the side of the head before spinning in midair. As he spun, Rykk wrapped the tip of his tail around Ratchet's neck.

The motion made Ratchet spin and fall to the ground. It also surprised and stunned Ratchet as he fell. He then felt pressure on his back and groaned, "Really Rykk?"

Rykk was doing to Ratchet, what Ratchet did to Fen.

Rykk chuckled, "Yeah, Fen told me to. You two are already acting like siblings."

Rykk stayed on Ratchet for a minute, let him flail about for a short time before helping him to his feet.

At that moment, the three of them felt like kin.

At that moment, Sly was fighting to live.

At that moment, Kaden was being nailed to a cross.

At that moment, a shadow stirred among them.

Everyone was busy during the next three days.

* * *

Well I hope I got you ready for the next chapter. To be honest I have **some** idea on what I want.

But I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen.

It may or may not be the last.

Either way, it'll be fun,

Thanks for reading,

Jerod2447


	18. Chapter 18, Admiratio

Okay guys, I'm sorry to say but this is the final chapter of Ravage

Hope your reading experience was above average

Thanks all my loyal readers

You have been great compellers

Anyways, to the story

It may or may not be dreary...

* * *

Chapter 18, Admiratio, aka, The Next Three Weeks,

* * *

Near the end of the second day, something amazing happened, Sly woke up. His condition had improved a great deal. He still was stuck in the bed and would be for most of the week. But his life was no longer in jeopardy.

Carmelita was in the room when he first opened his eyes.

The light hurt Sly's eyes so he squinted.

Carmelita noticed and she got a big smile. "Hey you, how are you feeling?"

Sly moaned, he ached everywhere and yet had a pleasant buzz in his mind. The painkillers, he thanked the doctors for the meds. Still, all the wounds burned and ached terribly, he was still weak. He responded, his voice was frail and quiet, "Crappy… but alive… I was… worried about… you."

Carmelita chuckled lightly, "You scared me nearly to death you ringtail."

"Well… I always… got on… your nerves…" Sly managed to smile a bit. His red eyes sparkled a bit.

Carmelita's eyes sparkled back. "I know, but I like it." She noticed how tired Sly was, "Get some rest Sly, we need you."

Sly grinned and readily obliged. His eyes closed and he reentered his bliss.

* * *

It was the third day and the time for the trade was coming up. Rykk, Ratchet, Fen, Arco, Atlas, and Leo had piled into a transport carriage. Rykk had the modified collar on as well as the attire Calamity ordered; a chain and a pair of pants. On his tail was a silver ring, the tracker that Calamity was meant to find.

Nobody spoke on the ten-minute ride over.

Rykk felt like he was headed for execution. Even if the plan worked, he was still going into the heart of Velocity chained and collared. Plenty of lombaxes would see him.

The square was huge and bustling with both human and lombaxes. Rykk sat in the transport, he didn't want to leave. He knew as soon as he stepped out that he would turn heads. Yet, he stepped out.

Before he did, Rykk swallowed the small tracker Bones gave him.

Rykk let Leo hold his chain; it was humiliating just walking to the meeting spot.

Most lombaxes gave a look of disgust. Others said unkind words such as; monster, freak, cat, murderer, and others containing expletives.

Rykk never looked up, they were lucky he was restrained and had a mission.

The gang had to keep some lombaxes back as they began to crowd.

"BACK OFF!"

The crowd went silent and faced the source of the voice. They all yelled and fled as Calamity stepped out from an alley. Behind him was a figured in a long, hooded robe. It hid the lombax beneath it.

Soon, the square was empty. Calamity stood on one side, Rykk and the gang at the other.

Arco and Fen might as well of had daggers coming out of their eyes. If it didn't meant that Rykk or Kaden would die, they would've attacked.

Calamity smirked, "I see my pet has been found; that you for returning him."

Rykk growled, "You think you're so clever. It's not the first time I've been called less than human… or Bonded."

Calamity ignored Rykk, "For returning him, I will reward you." He turned to the figured behind him. "Come on out."

The robbed and hooded figure stepped forward. Though everyone knew who it was, they weren't expecting what their eye beheld.

It bore a similarity to a lombax, though it was covered by both dry and wet blood as well as horrific cuts and gashes. One of his eyes was swollen shut and the other was completely bloodshot. And worst of all, on its wrists and feet were bloody and gruesome holes. It was a wonder it could stand with the holes in its feet. On top of that, one of his ears looked like it was mostly sheared off; it just hung on by a bit of cartilage and sinew. The other ear also had a large hole through it. He looked more like a walking pile of blood, fur, muscle, and bone than a chief of Velocity. All he wore was a blood-soaked, crudely cut, loincloth.

Ratchet almost hurled at the sight of his father. If he didn't already know who it was; there was no way he could recognize the figure as his father. "D… D… Dad?" It was all Ratchet could muster; the sight stunned him to his core.

Kaden's breathing was fast and shallow. He was shaking and blood was dripping everywhere. In fact, if it weren't for the Hammer he had been given, he would probably have died from blood-loss.

"As a sign of good faith, I'll send Kaden halfway over first." Calamity grabbed Kaden and threw him forward. Kaden stumbled and fell roughly. "Get up," Calamity barked.

Kaden weakly stumbled to his feet. Pain was all that existed for him. It made him nearly blind. Yet, he stumbled forward and made it halfway across the square.

Rykk saw Kaden but showed no reaction. He knew it would be bad, in fact he expected a little worse. Rykk stepped forward as Kaden shakily walked. Rykk saw Kaden as his future self should he fail to collar Calamity.

Soon, Rykk and Kaden met in the middle. Kaden was shivering, his breathing quick and shallow, a trail of blood led to him.

Rykk whispered, "I'm sorry."

Calamity crossed his arms, "Ok, both of you move!"

Rykk took a deep breath and started walking. Every instinct in him told him to run, told him to fight.

He didn't.

Kaden stumbled for a few more steps before collapsing. Bones and Clank both rushed forward and began to scan him. The others gently moved him.

Calamity grabbed Rykk's chain and yanked it.

Rykk yelped, "Gack!" as the collar yanked his throat.

Calamity grinned and Rykk felt humiliated. "Rykk, this is the way this should be. Come, we have a lot of… catching up to do." Calamity yanked the chain and made Rykk gag again.

Just as Rykk thought this couldn't get more humiliating, he saw that Calamity had prepared a cage. It was big enough for Rykk to sit in and was made of a dark grey metal.

"Get in," Calamity barked.

Rykk snarled but (very reluctantly) obliged.

Before Rykk entered the cage he yelped. Calamity had grabbed his tail and pulled on it.

"Hmm… a tracker," he pulled off the silver ring and threw it away.

The metal was cold against his bare back and fur.

Calamity nodded towards the group, "It's been a pleasure." He grabbed hold of the chain on top of the cage and flew off with Rykk in tow.

Ratchet looked up as Calamity flew away and saw that Rykk had tears in his eyes.

Ratchet himself was upset, mainly for his dad's extremely rough appearance but he was also scared for Rykk's task.

* * *

Rykk watched the landscape below him zip by.

Calamity was flying fast; he was eager and would have easily outpaced an Atmo in seconds.

The collar made Rykk's throat feel numb and his tail hung out of the cage, it swayed in the wind.

Both Bonded were silent during the short flight.

Calamity landed at the mouth of a cave. It was one Rykk had known about but had never been. It was a complex maze of tunnels called Agrona's Labyrinth. It wasn't traveled often and was in a very remote area. _Even though they are tracking me, it'll take them some time to get out this far._

Calamity carried Rykk's cage into the cavern. The tunnels were dark, wet, and big enough for two people to walk down. Calamity took many turns and the walk was a long one. Calamity was unusually quiet the whole time; Rykk said nothing as well.

Eventually the tunnel opened up into a circular arena. It was the size of two football fields and was open to the sky. All over the ground were bloodstains and pieces of rotten flesh and tissue. Some of the stains were recent.

Rykk then spotted something that chilled his blood. It was a dark, wooden cross. Fresh, wet blood was still on it and the nails were still embedded in the wood.

There were many other devices of torture, most looked straight out of the dark ages.

Calamity tossed Rykk's cage into the middle of what was undoubtedly the torture chamber. Near the cage was a tall, thick pole with rings on it. No doubt used to string people up.

Calamity then spoke for the first time in an hour, "You know what Rykk? I know that when people call you an animal they mean it as an insult." Calamity crouched until he was eyelevel with his nemesis. "I do not; I believe you really are an animal. You are the most dangerous animal there is. Because of that, you, and your father, killed the only person I cared for."

"That "person" was a mass murdering, manipulative, cannibalistic psychopath! Not that it matters to you."

Calamity grinned and shrugged, "We all have problems, and you know that. And I know you Rykk; you don't care if you die trying to kill me. However, you would never give yourself up to me, even for Ratchet's father. Let me guess, you have a tracking device on you, and I don't mean the tail-ring I found earlier."

"No, that was the only one."

"Aw, come on Rykk, you know I'm sadistic, not stupid." Calamity withdrew a metallic rod and started waving it around Rykk. The rod beeped when it was moved across Rykk's back and Calamity smiled. "Ah a gastro-implanted tracer, that'll be fun…" The rod also beeped when it came across Rykk's collar. "Hmm… this one's a bit more difficult."

Rykk grinned, "Something wrong?"

Calamity smiled, "Not at all, it's just as I expected, I want your friends to come get you."

Rykk's face went cold and he braced himself for what was going to happen.

Calamity opened the cage's door and pulled Rykk out.

Rykk had seen the pole and knew if he got bound to it; it was very likely he wouldn't get another chance to get the collar on Calamity. He dug his heel into the ground and lunged at Calamity. While he moved he summoned the collar.

* * *

Kaden was rushed to the hospital and put in the same room at Sly. When he collapsed, he passed out, it was a wonder he hadn't done that sooner.

Ratchet watched as his father was taken to the Lombax Medical Clinic of Velocity. The docs, Bones, and Clank checked him out. He was covered in deep lacerations and was in surgery for a good amount of time. The holes in his hands and feet were the worst.

During that time Ratchet was pacing around. Clank was with him, Bones said that he should comfort Ratchet and that he could handle the surgery. He updated Clank every hour.

Also with him were; Fen, Arco, Leo and Carmelita.

Clank put had a call from Atlas (he was with the Praetorian Guard Techs). "Go ahead Mr. McShard,"

"We got a bit ov'a problem, 'e lost both trackers' signal."

Ratchet nearly yelled, "What?! How?"

"De region es very remote," Atlas turned his attention to one of the techs.

"We have the signal! But we need to triangulate their position."

"How long will dat take?"

"Some time, he's in the Labyrinth."

Atlas took a deep breath, "Aw dat's perfect!"

"How big is the Labyrinth?" Ratchet asked.

"De Labyrinth's tunnels go on for miles and miles, tere es a map of et but et's incomplete. Ef 'e don't 'ave a location on Roikk, we'll git lost as soon 'as 'e step foot en de caves."

Leo asked, "How long?"

Atlas asked the Tech and relayed his response. His voice had great disappointment, "Tey can't give us a toime, dey're sendin' troops to te cave entrances ta await a locate."

Ratchet's expression showed anxiety and frustration. "Fine, when you have more info let us know."

"Ya'll be te first ta know," a click indicated that Atlas had hung-up.

Leo sighed, "I'm not losing Rykk to that monster. I'm going down to the labyrinth, who's coming with me?"

"I'm coming," Arco said strongly.

"Me too," Fen agreed, the look on his face said, "revenge."

Ratchet was conflicted, his dad was hurt badly and wanted to be with him. However, Rykk was in mortal danger, because of him his dad was alive.

Clank saw the conflict on Ratchet's face. "Ratchet, you can go with them and I can inform you on your father's condition…" He paused, "Bones just gave an update. Your father will be fine. He just needs a lot of patching up and rest. The injuries were meant for maximum pain, not to kill. Once he's out of surgery, which should be in about three hours, with some Healer and Carmelita's skill, he'll be fine. He will be in the same room with Sly when you get back."

_I now owe you Rykk, _"Let's go,"

* * *

Everything went dark for Rykk. He loved it, the bliss, the darkness was a release.

A flash, Rykk gasped for breath as he jarringly came back to this bright world. His wrists were chained up above his head and his feet barely touched the ground. He felt the rough wood against his back and the numbing sensation on his neck.

Pain flooded him as he felt a knife enter his torso. Dark blue blood began to flow as Calamity cut into Rykk's stomach.

The pain was excruciating and Rykk yelled as his stomach's contents were spilled. He felt blood come out his mouth as Calamity put his hand into the gaping wound. Calamity was smiling broadly the whole time he had his fingers poking around Rykk's guts.

A minute later and Calamity withdrew his hand. In it was a blood and slime-covered tracker. "See, that wasn't so bad, don't worry. I'll help you," at that he summoned a syringe of Healer and applied it to Rykk. Within a minute the wound had healed to the point where it wasn't bleeding anymore. "I love Healer, I can keep people alive for far longer and try different methods on them; as long as the wounds aren't mortal."

Rykk moaned, "By the way, I heard your "loved-one's" death was painful. Heard it was a sight and that he screamed like an infant!"

Calamity yelled and instinctively struck Rykk on the face, "You… vermin! When your friends show, you will be near death! I will kill them in front of you and then I'll disembowel you and leave you to rot for weeks!"

* * *

Leo, Arco, Fen, and Ratchet piled into an Atmo and flew above the Plain. It took them about two hours to reach the labyrinth's main entrance. (Whereas it took Calamity about fifteen minutes) Outside it was a small army of Praetorians encamped around it.

He gang found Atlas sitting near what looked similar to a radio. "Ya got ta hurry et up! Ef we don't 'ave all te entrances covered soon, we moight as well not be here!" Atlas hung up and let out a breath of exasperation, "Why es everytin' against us?" He asked himself before he noticed the group. "Me apologies, Oi'm just a tad bit stressed roight now."

"I think everyone is," Leo responded, "You hear anything?"

"Te techs say dat we got about six hours before tey can get a locate. Dese stupid tunnels, dey are te worst place for trackin' and coms."

"A perfect place for a hideout," Leo stated with intense frustration and anger. "Figures, so we just wait then? Is that our only move?! Huh?! I have to wait while the kid I watched grow up gets tortured?! The son of one of my best friends?!"

"Unfortunately it is." Bones' voice rang from the com device. "Going in there now would be foolish. You would certainly get lost and probably ambushed by Calamity and killed. If either of those things happen, Rykk will die."

Leo growled and roared a purple beam of energy from his mouth. All the Praetorian guards stopped and stared, they all looked a bit afraid at the Dragon's display.

Leo growled at them and they all hurried along their tasks.

* * *

Sly sat up in his bed; he looked over and saw Kaden. The Chief was out; most of his body was covered in bandages and he had an I.V. and a heart-rate monitor beeped in quick, rhythmic rate. Kaden had arrived about two hours earlier and Sly was shocked to see him so ripped up.

Sly himself was feeling better; Carmelita had used her healing abilities on him earlier. (The clinic lent her a plasma generator) They seemed to help a great deal; he was actually able to walk around a bit. He still felt weak and tired but better.

Suddenly Kaden sat up and yelled. "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME YOU WITCH!" He shrieked, his eye opened and revealed terror. He seemed to be shouting at the wall. There was no one there. "IT'S NOT MY FAULT! NOT MY FAULT! LEAVE ME BE!"

The sight greatly startled Sly and the nurses and doctor came running in. They tried to get him to lie down.

"NO! EBONY"S HERE! SHE'LL KILL US! GET OFF ME!" The hysterical lombax wailed and fought back. Kaden looked like a mummy fighting its captors.

Sly got up and helped the nurses and doctor restrain him until they gave Kaden a strong sedative. Kaden went limp and fell asleep.

Sly was breathing hard and his heart raced, _what in blazes was that?! Thought he was too injured to move like that?_

"Doc, what the heck just happened?" Sly asked as his breathing returned to its normal pace.

The doc also looked shaken up, "A nightmare, whatever torture Calamity did to him must've also included psychological torment. Well, he'll be out for a while."

"Shouldn't he be restrained?" Sly asked.

"If he gives us another outburst, he will be. For now, let's wait and see."

Sly returned to his bed and sat on its edge. He took a sip of water from a small plastic cup as Carmelita rushed in.

"Sly! I heard some commotion! What happened?"

"Kaden had some kind of powerful nightmare. I think that the combination of Ebony and Calamity's torment has messed his mind up."

Carmelita looked at Kaden, then at Sly. "I'll get the generator; I'll help him as best I can." She left and returned with what bore some resemblance to a space heater. She set it down and activated it. Lines of yellow plasma lit up. Carmelita moved her hands in smooth, slow, circular motions and the yellow plasma moved. It snaked into the air and slowly faded into a blue color. The converted plasma then gently touched Kaden's chest and dispersed throughout his system. Carmelita closed her eyes and focused, her hands never ceased moving in their elegant motions. Occasionally she would jump and grimace and if startled or disgusted. Kaden's breath became deeper and smoother, the heart-rate monitor slowed to a more even tempo.

After a half-hour, Carmelita withdrew her energy and took a deep breath. "Wow, that was intense."

Sly stood up, "He was pretty bad,"

Carmelita shook her head, "Not only that, I felt terror and fear in him. I expected for him to be relieved that he is out. However, I think Calamity messed with his brain. After everything that happened with Ebony, I think it was easy for him to made Kaden's mind break. I was able to heal him up a good amount, he'll always have the scars but he should be able to move around now."

"You kept him asleep right?"

She nodded, "Yes, I don't feel it safe for him to be awake, at least until he calms down. I think with time he'll realize he's safe."

Sly nodded, "Do you know what's going on with the rest of the gang?"

Carmelita sighed, "They're still waiting for a location. That cave system is the worst place for the trackers to work. But they said they should have a location in about ninety minutes."

"I really want to help," Sly sighed with a longing note.

Carmelita gave a nod, "I know, but in your condition you would be killed."

Sly growled lightly in frustration, "Yeah, here I thought I was some powerful Bonded. But compared to Rykk and Calamity… I'm not."

"Don't talk like that Sly! You are powerful; I think you're just a different kind of power. You just have to figure how to use it. Besides, you're new to this; Rykk, Calamity, and Ebony have had their powers far longer. Of course they have an advantage over you."

Sly looked into her eyes, the gave him compassion and comfort. "Thanks, Carmelita, I do feel better." Sly then yawned, that struggle with Kaden was a bit tiring.

Sly soon fell asleep.

About an hour later he awoke to Kaden screaming. _Aw that crazy lombax! Not again!_

Sly bolted up and suddenly felt extreme fear. For a dark shadow was in the room.

* * *

Rykk shuddered as Calamity forced the middle finger of his right hand back until it touched the back of his hand. Over the past couple hours Calamity had went through a plethora of torture methods on Rykk. After each one he would give Rykk enough Healer to just to fix the injuries. As such he could torture Rykk as much as he wanted.

Rykk was in and out of agony, his body never adjusted. Though, he was able to use his puppet to avoid having Calamity in his mind. That was a huge relief.

"I bet they don't care, the chiefs only wanted to get their own back. They want you dead, you know that."

Rykk grinned, "They sure do. But, I know who they want more." Rykk spat a mixture of cobalt blood and saliva onto Calamity's face. "I may be an animal Calamity, but you are a savage!" Rykk gave Calamity an intense, determined, vengeful stare. "I'm ready when you are!"

* * *

Sly was in shock, _it can't be! It just can't! That's impossible!_

The dark figure had two, distinctively curved horns on her head.

Ebony stood over Kaden. She had her staff in one hand and a black dagger in the other. The dagger's blade was smooth and was surrounded by green flame. She just held it, it wasn't raised yet.

Sly was groggy initially but upon seeing Ebony he was wide awake.

Kaden was also awake and a trembling wreck. "Get… get away! Leave!"

"Nevermore, such a sad and lonely word," Ebony hissed. "Nevermore will you see your son. Nevermore will he love me. Nevermore…" As she spoke she raised her dagger, preparing it to strike.

Ebony paused, quickly spun around and blocked a blow from Sly's staff.

"How did you do it?" Sly asked. Their staffs were locked together.

Ebony grinned, "Visions are seldom all they seem. You really think it was difficult for me to make your friends think they saw me die?" The malicious Bonded chuckled in a maleficent manner. "Look at this, I have the bane of my existence alone, and lightly guarded. My friend has his bane and is playing with him. Soon, he will kill all your friends. It's all working as we planned!" She spun, parting their staffs and tried to jab Sly with her dagger. At the same time a wall of thorns sprung up in front of the door to the room. Only the small window on the door was left unobstructed.

Sly fought through his weakness; the dire situation numbed his pain and gave him a boost in energy. He evaded the blade and hit it out of Ebony's grasp with the end of his staff.

Ebony grabbed her staff with both hands and swung it at him.

Sly parried it and he swung his own.

Ebony parried it and leapt above him. Her long, black robe flowed and followed her as she tried to hit Sly in midair.

Sly bent forward and blocked the blow with his staff behind his back.

She landed and another blow of hers was blocked. The master thief's staff was still behind his back.

Sly spun around and a brief, fast exchange began. Both staffs were not natural, both were Bonded weapons; one for a thief that was well known, the other for a dark, spite-filled entity.

* * *

"Got a location!" Bones exclaimed. "He's here," Bones' hologram pointed to a spot on a map. "It's an open arena about four miles northwest of here."

The Praetorian commander pointed to the spot, "It'll take us about a half…"

"No, no troops. Calamity will just kill them. We will go alone," Leo stated firmly. To make his point, his eyes flashed purple and made the commander jump. The commander went silent.

Ratchet looked at the map, "I'll take our group there; I can carry them. We'll be there in a few minutes."

The group bounced against Ratchet's palms as the giant lombax ran. Everyone braced themselves for the upcoming fight. Leo flew alongside Ratchet; his eyes glowed with purple energy, and bloodlust.

Rykk's ears heard rhythmic rumbling and Calamity smiled, "We got company."

By the time the gang arrived; Calamity had resorted to his favorite method of torture. He was beating Rykk with the nine-tails.

When the Ratchet saw him, it was Déjà vu. Rykk looked only slightly less rough compared to the day they had come to Velocity for the first time. (He still had both ears)

Leo landed in the arena and Ratchet dropped into it. He released the gang from his hands and they all got in fighting stances. Ratchet had to shrink down to fifteen feet tall in order to have enough room to move effectively.

"Finally, what took you all so long? Oh, was it the trackers? Don't worry, I'll give them back. Your silly cat here accidentally swallowed one but don't worry about that one either, my trusty knife and I got it back." He tossed it at Leo's feet; it still had dry blood and stomach enzymes on it.

Leo saw the tracker and imagined what had happened. He roared a beam of plasma at Calamity.

Calamity evaded the attack by leaping and spinning sideways. He commanded his three ghosts to attack the group.

Arco, Fen, and Atlas kept the ghosts busy. Leo attacked Calamity while Ratchet helped Rykk.

Leo distracted Calamity long enough for Ratchet to get the collar off Rykk and inject him with healer. It gave Rykk strength and he summoned his blades. Ratchet drew his wrench and they joined Leo in the fight.

Calamity got an opening on Leo and cut off his leg. He then threw Leo against a wall, the impact knocked him out.

Rykk yelled, in his rage he extended his claws and went feral.

Everyone yelled, "No Rykk!"

It was too late. Rykk abandoned all forms of order and precision. His rage blinded him as it did before; Rykk swung his claws in furious abandonment.

The others tried to jump in but the fight became erratic and they couldn't.

The fight was made easier for Calamity. He dodged the swipes with little effort and even managed to send a shockwave that knocked everyone else back.

It wasn't long until Calamity got an opening and jabbed Rykk in the shoulder. He kicked Rykk onto his back and pinned his legs with a chunk of the wall.

Everyone was still dazed but Ratchet was the closest to Rykk. He saw Calamity about to finish Rykk off with his sword.

* * *

Ebony was obviously in much better shape than Sly and was wearing him down. Out of the corner of his eye Sly could see Carmelita desperately trying to get in.

Kaden was still quivering and trembling. He was still a terrified wreck.

Ebony landed a hit on Sly's temple with the end of her staff. It knocked him into a wall; due to his weakened condition the blow stunned him badly. A trickle of blood came from the wound.

Ebony turned her back and looked at Kaden. The dagger returned to her grasp and she approached Kaden. "Your friend is out. Now time to pay!"

Sly summoned a burst of Bide, hit Ebony with it and jumped her. He held onto one of her horns with one hand and hit with the other. He also kicked her, basically did everything he could to stop her from killing Kaden.

The Bide slowed her for a moment then she started flailing around. She yelled and spun around trying to get rid of the pest attacking her. She threw her head back and hit Sly in the face with her staff. She also shot him with a bolt of lightning and again shot him back.

Sly fell, the unnatural lightning course through him and he fell.

Everything went silent for Sly. No pain, no sound, just his heartbeat and breathing. He raised his hand to his neck and gave a light gasp. Embedded just below his neck was the black dagger. Its hilt stuck out of him and blood began to readily seep from the wound. Ebony reached down and pulled it out. "You imbecile, you thought you could beat me. Now die in a pool of your own…"

Ebony was silent as the dagger was taken from her hand with alarming speed and shoved into her back. The black blade hit her heart.

"You…" Kaden's voice growled. It was dark, low, and laced with rage and hate. "I may have failed you. That's no excuse to kill!" He yelled as he shoved and twisted the dagger. "I'm sending you to HELL!" Kaden yanked the blade free and Ebony shrieked.

The Bonded exploded in green flame and fell. Her body, like during her fake death, turned back into Angela. This time, it was for real. Kaden made sure by stabbing the body again. No reaction but the thorns faded away and Carmelita came running in.

Sly was bleeding out; he had a few precious seconds left. "Carm… I'm… sorry…" Sly began to feel light headed and tired.

Carmelita couldn't believe it, Sly was dying. There was no time to heal him and the wound was too grievous for Healer to fix. She was so wrecked up at the sudden turn of events she had to force herself to speak. The tears flowed in abundance from both Sly and Carmelita. "Don't… Sly… you can't… leave!"

Sly's vision began to darken. "I… love… you…" The world went black and Sly went limp.

* * *

Rykk was stunned, he thought he was dead. He thought that, because he let his rage and anger consume him, it was over. Looking up, he saw Ratchet impaled on Calamity's blades. His red blood dripped onto Rykk's face.

Ratchet knew that if Rykk died, there was no one else strong enough. He also believed that if he died, Rykk could become the Storm and end Calamity. He had little time to act. So, instinctively he leapt in front of the blades. He shook and quivered as his body knew he was in dire trouble. Blood trickled from his wounds, nose, and mouth. _Kill this monster Rykk, you can do it! _Ratchet thought as he hung on the blade.

Calamity raised an eyebrow before throwing Ratchet off his blade and onto the ground. There, Calamity skewered him again before throwing him off the blades again. Ratchet flew into the stone wall back first; blood splattered on the wall. "Well that was inconvenient…"

He was cut off as Rykk roared and flew apart into his third stage, the Alter Storm. _You killed everyone! I should have died for him! I owed him! _Rykk's voice, now deeper and almost god-like, came from the storm, "Savage! You don't deserve to live in this world! In this universe! Prepare for hell! PREPARE TO DIEE!" It rammed into Calamity and everyone else took cover in a nearby tunnel.

The storm was massive, the sound of the rushing energy was deafening enough but it was the beastly roar it gave that was deafening. It proceeded to slam Calamity into nearly every inch of stone.

For the first time in a long time, Calamity was stunned.

The storm dove into the ground and transformed into the rock beast.

It roared and proceeded to pound into Calamity. He tried to escape but the beast grabbed him and threw him into the wall.

There was little Calamity could do, it was an alien feeling for him.

It took some time, but little by little, the beatings weakened the murderous Bonded.

* * *

While Calamity was getting pummeled, Atlas pulled Leo and Ratchet into the tunnel they were hiding in.

Leo was badly hurt but not mortally once he was given some Healer. He awoke after being pulled into the cave.

Ratchet however, his wounds was much more grim. He had four holes through him and the Healer would only buy a little time.

Ratchet's breathing was labored and he was bleeding profusely from the wounds, mouth and nose.

"Ratchet… I can't… lose… another… brother!" Fen exclaimed. He practically hysterical, his eyes became a fountain of tears.

Arco to was crying but was silent. She didn't know what to say.

"Oi'm so sorry we failed you." Atlas said with great remorse.

Ratchet looked up and saw Calamity being pounded by Rykk. He gave as big a smile he could muster. The pain coming from the wounds was extreme and yet, numbing. His strength was failing. "You… didn't… fail… just make… sure… Calamity… dies…" He looked at Fen and smiled even wider. "You… are the… best… brother… I'll… miss… you… Fen…"

Fen lost it at those words.

Ratchet's vision darkened. "Tell… my… dad… I… love… him… I'm… seeing… mom… soon…"

Arco responded, "We will. Rest in peace, my friend."

"We won't forget you." Leo added.

Ratchet sighed heavily as his ears fell and his tail ceased to move.

* * *

Eventually Calamity was so beaten and weak he couldn't move. He lay on the ground; bright orange blood drizzled from his nose and mouth. He looked up just in time to see the beast leap at him.

In midair, Rykk converted to his Aggression form and drew his claws. As he came down on Calamity, he roared, and drove his claws into Calamity's chest. He quickly withdrew them, stabbed, and slashed Calamity repeatedly. Bright orange blood went everywhere. Rykk basically gutted Calamity.

Calamity was now fatally wounded, "Good job… kid… I… am impressed…" He was dying. It had been a very long time since he had seen his own blood. He didn't fight it; he knew what he had to do.

Rykk growled and bent down so he could whisper in Calamity's ear. Rykk's voice was a little more than a growl filled with malice, hate, and satisfaction. "How does it feel Calamity? You're dying and soon you'll be dead!" Rykk chuckled darkly, "I like this. I like seeing your guts everywhere. I like seeing you in pain. Though it is far from making things right for those you've taken! It's all I can do. Looks like I won!"

THWOP! THWOP! THWOP! THWOP! There were four, muffled explosions that came from between Rykk and Calamity. Rykk was puzzled until he looked.

In Calamity's hand was a McVoy pistol loaded with Alacrity rounds. Calamity had fired four into Rykk. At such close range, the blasts tore clean through Rykk. They basically exploded most of his vital organs and dark blue splatter went all over the ground.

"It's… a… tie…" Calamity said before he went limp. His body morphed into that of a young man with black hair.

Rykk sat up for a second, stunned, before he fell sideways off of Calamity. _I can't believe, me and Ratchet, both, I expected this outcome, but… _Pain flooded his body as he hit the crimson dirt.

Atlas, having just watched Ratchet die, was in shambles upon seeing Rykk going down death's road.

Leo too, saw Rykk and roared a beam of plasma. His eyes turned red and he berserked on the ground.

Fen was in such grief for his adopted brother, he didn't notice Rykk.

Arco simply sat on her feet; she was silent with a dark look on her.

Atlas ran over, as Rykk faded. He propped up Rykk's head in his arms. However, he didn't get the chance to say anything. "It's… over…" Rykk said as his eyes closed and his tail stopped twitching.

* * *

(Cue, Here Comes the Sun, by Nina Simone)

* * *

Sly opened his eyes and realized he was standing on a beach. The pure white sand was soft and cool. The waves of crystal water lapped rhythmically on the shore. There was a gentle breeze against his grey fur. It was perfect.

He then noticed that he was wearing white pants and a matching white shirt. Absent from his fur were the red lines and symbols, he was as he was before he even got the VIM. _I died, so this is heaven?_ He looked up and saw a trail that led towards a measureless, green country. There were golden palaces on the land and the sky was bright.

He was about to walk towards it when he realized he wasn't alone.

* * *

Ratchet took a deep breath, the air was fresh and clean. It was cool against his face. The sounds of an ocean beat into his ears.

He looked to his right and saw Sly. He was stunned, Ratchet knew that he had died, but Sly? "Sly? What happened? I thought…"

"Ebony, she tried to kill your father. I died fighting her."

"So… is my dad?" Ratchet asked with both eagerness and reluctance.

Sly smiled and shook his head, "No, he killed her."

Ratchet was then also relieved and disappointed. "I hope he lives well, though I can't wait to see him."

Ratchet looked his right and saw a teenage human. He had black hair and shiny, emerald eyes.

"Um, hello, who are you?" Ratchet asked.

The kid looked at his hands and felt all over his head before responding. "I… I'm Derek, but I think you'd know me as Rykk."

Both Sly and Ratchet were stunned. "So Calamity killed you?" Sly asked.

Derek gave a grin, "I killed him first don't worry. Man, I can't wait to…"

He was silenced as a small crowd approached them. All of its occupants wore the same white clothes as they did.

Ratchet saw Talwyn and a female lombax he somehow just knew was his mother. He felt tears of joy form.

Sly's jaw dropped as he saw a male and female raccoon. He, like Ratchet, just knew they were his parents.

Derek looked and saw all the people he has lost. Not just to Calamity, but before that. He broke into a wide smile as he saw his best friend and members of his family.

The trio charged the crowd, all of them crying and exchanging hugs with their loved ones. The emotions of joy, happiness, peace, and love flowed from everyone.

"Guys, there's something we need to tell you." Talwyn addressed all three and they paused.

Ratchet was talking with his mother. "What is it Tal?"

Derek was wrestling his friend. "What's going on?"

Sly was laughing with his parents. "Can it wait?"

Sly's mom shook her head, "It can't I'm sorry."

So, they all paused and listened.

"You can't come any further, this is only temporary." Ratchet's mom stated with a gentle voice.

Ratchet was confused, "But… I'm dead, we're all dead."

Derek was now more befuddled, "Not again, I died, all my loved ones…" he started to break up.

Sly too was conflicted, "Why are you sending us back there?! I thought you missed me?!"

Sly's dad looked his son in the eye, "We did, we do, but it's not our call."

Sly muttered, "Oh, it's His call?"

"Your universe is in jeopardy. Calamity was one of the worst but there are other like him. If unleashed, they will be a repeat." Talwyn said, "Like Ebony, like me."

"So, what **can** **we** do?!" Derek exclaimed.

"You must find the one who made them." Derek's friend answered.

Derek was puzzled, "Them? Do you mean, the Beings?"

His friend nodded, "Yea, they aren't naturally a part of your universe."

"What do you mean? Someone from outside our universe made them?" Ratchet asked.

"Yes," Talwyn answered, "You must find the one responsible. His name is Kenovo."

Sly looked at her, "How do we find him?"

Sly's mother answered, "When you are sent back, you will each be given the ability to find portals to other worlds. One type, a white portal, will lead you to Kenovo's realm, a different universe."

"So that's it?" Derek asked, "We were brought here just to go on some wild man hunt for a being outside our universe?"

"No," Derek's mother comforts her son and hugs him. "Not just for that, you came here because all of you went through a great deal. You need some rest."

"But, if we're going back, won't our friends…" Ratchet asked but was cut off by his mother.

"Little time will pass as you rest your souls. You can't leave this beach, but there is a special cabin made for visitors."

"How long can we stay mom?" Ratchet asked.

She smiled a warm smile, "You will stay here for what you know as three weeks. However, only minutes will pass back in your realm my son. Now, how about we all go for a swim?"

Ratchet smiled, a whole three weeks with his mom and Talwyn. It wasn't eternity, but he knew if his universe was in danger and he could stop it, he will.

Sly looked at both his mom and dad. He had so much to tell them and vice versa. Three weeks was a decent amount of time, but not enough. Sly knew he had to go back, but it was the last thing he wanted.

Derek looked up at his mom. He asked timidly, "When I go back, who will I be? Will I still be a… Bonded?"

His mom gave him a reassuring hug, "You'll be my son. Whether your name is Derek or Rykk, you will be my son."

Though her response confirmed that he would, it melted Derek's heart. He knew now who and what he was.

The trio all exchanged looks.

Each look was one of friendship.

They all rested for the next three weeks.

* * *

Once upon a dream

Things are always as they seem

Worlds will collide

Many will die

To set things right

It will cost all their might

These three were meant to be

More than heroes of a galaxy

Our universe they will strive

Our realm, they will keep alive

A greater foe is missing

His whereabouts keep all guessing

A dark tower is the key

But in it is great mystery

Its halls are filled with evil

Its occupants may be deceitful

Many are dead

The place is dread

Yet to this place they will go

What will happen no one will know

They saw heaven

They have been through hell

Though paradise, for them is given

This new hell, few humans dwell

The new chapter isn't written

The tale to me is hidden

I have other stories in my mind

I am in a writer's bind

I will pen it one day

Not even I can say

I do not know the way

My mind or life will go

Thanks for reading

Now a question

What should be my course of action?

In the next section

I have a few choices

Now take your pick

Obey your inner voices

Tell me your views

Leave them in the reviews


End file.
